It All Falls Apart
by MissCar
Summary: Post HSM-3 "This is not a story written by the people at Disney. In the real world things aren’t that simple." Sex, Lies, Betrayal, and Murder in New Mexico. This story has been discontinued
1. Chapter 1:THE BAGGAGE WE BRING

I have decided to change the name of the story to It All Falls Apart because this title fits better with the direction of the story. I have revised this chapter for severe grammar mistakes.

Summary: For years Sharpay, Troy, and Chad appeared to have the perfect life. In reality, there were always cracks in that perfection. Just days before beginning college, 18 years worth of cracks will culminate in the world falling apart. This is the story of how it all falls apart.

I give up on trying to keep the main pairings a secret.

Although, romantic relationship will not be the main focus of this story. The story will eventually be Chadpay with serious Troypay friendship. Okay maybe it will be more than friendship, the relationship between Chad, Sharpay, and Troy in this story is complicated. Other pairings will include Ryan/Taylor, Anti-Troyella and Troy/OC. As well as a few surprises.

**

* * *

**

Warning: This story will contain very dark subject matter including substance abuse and sexual assault of a minor. All these issues will be handled in a tasteful way and are crucial to the plot. This will be no worse than what is in the newspaper. If you are, offended by these subjects or if this type of material bothers your conscience, please do not read this story.

**Disclaimer: I do not own High School Musical. **

**The following work is based on characters created by Peter Barsocchini. The following is a work of fiction. **

**I do own any of the original characters and the plot for this story**

**Spoilers: Everything up to HSM 3**

* * *

Chapter One

THE BAGGAGE WE BRING

Albuquerque New, Mexico

August 2008

Troy Bolton stood in the room of his youth surrounded by Boxes as he listened to his iPod. Packed away were the autograph posters of Kobe Bryant and music superstar Maddie Rock (both gifts from Gabriella). Only spots of discoloration late testament to their onetime existence. His closet was completely empty, except for a few things he never wore. Memorabilia of happy moments pass were packed away awaiting their new home at UC Berkeley. This room no longer looked like his home for the last several years. At some point, this summer between basketball games with friends and his internship at _Evans Hospitality worldwide_ his childhood home had become a shell of its former self.

This scene played its self out again down the hall in the former guest room. Except, these boxes were never unpacked. At the end of May, Chad discovered his uncle, the closest person Chad had to a father or any type of parent, had accepted a position at his corporations Washington, DC Office. Chad's Choices were to leave with his uncle only to come back for classes in the fall at the University of Albuquerque or to make some other arrangement for the summer.

Although, Troy was leaving for Berkeley in the fall, he could not bear to leave his best friend two months earlier than he had to. After extreme begging, it was decided that Chad would move into the Bolton household. That summer Chad bounced between the Bolton home and his summer job. Troy could not be happier, not only would he get to stay with his best friend, now he would not have to listen to all the yelling on his own anymore.

Most of Troy's childhood felt like something straight out of a Disney movie. He was a god of high school that had the Perfect friends, the perfect home with the two perfect parents that all his friends wish they had. Except for the summer of 2001, there was no fighting or animosity between his parents. (No one in this house of talked about the summer of 01.)Recently, that perfection was gone, if it was ever there to begin with. His parents argued about everything from Troy's dad forgetting to pick up milk after work to his mother's constant business trips. Slamming doors and hidden tears have become Normal in this household.

Things were falling apart in this so-called perfect world of the Bolton family and Troy could not deal with it. Therefore, Troy decided to go to college 1000 miles away and pretend the real reason is to be with Gabriella, not to avoid the explosion destined to occur. He will double major, as Sharpay suggested, in performing arts and education. He will be the star athlete again. He will listen to Maddie Rock _it all falls apart as he does now, and act as if the lyrics do not applied to his life. _He will go on pretending everything is the same as it has always been. Denial has become the state of normality for Troy Bolton. The delusion can be more easily maintains when one cannot see the carnage around them.

_It all falls apart _

_This happy family that never really was there_

_These pretend friends who never really ever cared_

_The Lovers who never really loved you anyway_

_This shallow life that you never really wanted to bear_

_Under the pressure of the shame_

_In the broken rain_

_In the heat of all this pain_

_It all falls apart_

_Everything falls apart _"Troy, are you ready yet." Chad yelled from down the hall, breaking Troy from his music-induced trance. "We have to be at the hotel for the farewell luncheon at 1:00 PM. It is 12:15 now."

"I will be there in a minute," he answered as he quickly turned off his iPod and grabbed his wallet and cell phone from his dresser. "Why are you so happy to go to the farewell luncheon at sky Café?"

"Not all of us are going to live 40 miles away from our girlfriend. I would like to spend as much time with Taylor before thousands of miles separate us." Chad said in a sarcastic tone as he grabbed his car keys. "We're taking my car, also known as my uncle's guilt gift. Besides, we don't have time to push your car halfway to the hotel in 100° heat."

"The truck isn't that bad anymore."

"Yes, it only breaks down every other day now. However, today is probably the day it will break down. Besides Taylor will kill me if we're late for the farewell lunch at the hotel," Chad said as he made his way down the stairs to the living room and out the front door.

"Very true," Troy agreed.

"Although, I could always make it up to her at Ryan farewell party tomorrow night." Chad adds as he opened the front door to his cherry red vintage convertible.

"I thought it was farewell party for both Ryan and Sharpay?" Question Troy as he sat down in the passenger seat of Chad's car.

"It is not farewell party in your honor, if you're not going anywhere."

Troy swore he could hear Chad mutter, "It is not a party in your honor, if most of the guess don't want you there." although, Troy could never be sure if he actually had that.

* * *

Sharpay Evans room on this Monday, like every other room in the Evans mausoleum/mansion looked as if no one lives there. This was what Sharpay was going for. Gone were the posters and acting awards. Her room was completely packed already as if this Saturday could not come fast enough. Even though Ryan was leaving in two days, his room was still only half way packed. As she walked around her brother's room in her matching pink workout ensemble, she knew she would be up until two helping him get everything together. It almost seemed like he did not want to let go of high school and move on. Instead, he held on to every moment with his high school friends and life.

Sharpay was the complete opposite of Ryan; she could not wait for life after high school to begin. Instead of spending, the summer at Lava Springs poolside with her fake friends, Sharpay attended a summer acting workshop sponsored by the University of Albuquerque. Even though she would never admit it, after losing two musicals to Gabriella and her shot at Juilliard to her brother, she was terrified that she would not achieve her Broadway dream. Now, she was more determined than ever to become the greatest performer to come out of Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Therefore, while her brother was off with their father at Lava Springs, she was preparing for life as a new student at A of U, double majoring in theater and business. Because although Sharpay wanted to be a performer, she did not want to starve to or become a cautionary tell of financial misfortune on _E! True Hollywood story_. She spent her days at the workshop and nights reading every business publication she could get her hands on. She even volunteered to be a summer intern at her family's corporation, just to get ahead on the competition. She would succeed, because success and perfection was her only option.

"You're not wearing those old sweat pants to the farewell lunch are you?" Ryan asked his sister as he walked back into his sweet.

"Are you crazy?" Sharpay asked in the most condescending tone possible. "I am always the pinnacle of style, and these are designer sweat pants."

"Yes and we have to leave in 5 minutes and you are not ready yet."

"I'm not going."

"What!"

"I'm not going!" Sharpay practically shouted at her brother.

"Why, don't you want to say goodbye to your friends?"

"High school is over Ryan. Let us stopped deluding ourselves, they were never my friends. No one was my friend. The girls from the club just pretended to like me so I could increase their popularity. Even my assistant Tiara, who was paid to be my friend, stabbed me in the back. I rather not spend any more time with people who hate me. I don't need to hear them say how much they'll miss me; we all know that they won't." the truth of the matter was she chose popularity of over true friendship four years earlier. Only in the last few months had she been able to rectify that situation. But it may never be enough.

"I will miss you Sharpay," Ryan said with all sincerity. This would not be the first time two would be separated for a long period time. However, this latest separation will still be painful.

"Thank you, but your family" Sharpay said with a tight smile around her lips. "However, I have better things to do like work with the caterer for tomorrow's party or finish packing."

"I thought mom and Taylor were dealing with the caterers."

"Taylor is distracted with your little farewell lunch whenever thing and mom has a headache," of course this was Sharpay's code for mom has a hangover.

A halfhearted "Oh," was the only response heard from Ryan on that matter. "Anyway, I thought you were done packing. Besides why are you living in the dorms? Your closet is bigger than most dorm rooms at A of U."

"You are living in the dorms." Sharpay pointed out defensively.

"Yes, but I have no choice, some stupid policy about freshmen living on campus. You on the other hand are not under such a policy."

"What would I do Ryan? Live in this mausoleum of a home by myself. Even the servants are not here anymore when mom and dad are not. With you gone, I will, be all by myself. At least last time I had Nanny Margarita to stay with me. I rather learn to live in a closet then be here alone. I can always leave most of my close here and pick them up on the weekend. Besides I will be in the same building as Chad, which will make it easier for you to have him check up on me." That final statement made Ryan go silent.

Although, Sharpay did not want to live alone, the truth of the matter was Sharpay was tired of dealing with Darby's "headaches". When Sharpay was a little girl, Darby had a serious substance abuse problem. Sharpay remembered finding the glass bottles, which she later discovered to be the finest Russian vodka, hidden under her mother's bed. She can still remember the track marks that covered her mother's body that Darby desperately tried to hide. A week before Sharpay turned 11, Darby finally went into Rehab after her best friend and fellow attic, Dominique Danforth died of a heroin overdose.

To this day Ryan knew nothing of their mother's vices. Most of this was because Ryan lived in Rhode Island with their aunt and attended a private school there during the worst of Darby's addiction. However, being the big sister, even if only by a few hours, she did everything possible to hide the true from Ryan. As early as five years old, Sharpay knew what was going on she may not have known that her mom was an alcoholic, but she knew that nobody should drink that much "special juice" before 10:00 AM.

Yet, she still told Ryan that all the glass bottles were from their last party and mom's bruises were caused by her "special shots". When Darby went to rehab, she told everybody, including Ryan, that her mom was spending the rest of the summer at the spa. In 10th grade health class, Sharpay learned that she was acting as an enabler to her mother. At almost 18 she was doing the same thing all over again, now aware of the true nature of the problem.

Her mother's trip back into the land of alcoholism started simply enough, a glass of wine at the wrap party for the winter musical and a little champagne at Ryan and Sharpay graduation party. However, by mid June, Sharpay received a call from a member of the Lava Springs wait staff to come get her mother, because as Chad put it to her that night, Darby was completely "fucked up."

At that moment, she was happy that Chad was the only one of the group to work there this summer. He was the only one who knew the truth and the only one who understood what was happening. Because it happen to him to, the only difference when he found his mom unconscious on the living room floor with a needle in her arm and a bottle of vodka in her hand, she never woke up again. Therefore, this summer, every time Darby went off the deep end, Chad, who Sharpay had promoted to Darby's personal assistant/babysitter, would call her to help him pick up the pieces. They keep this secret from everyone. However, Sharpay was tired of waiting for Darby never to wake up.

Taking Ryan silence as his acceptance Sharpay finally said "Ryan just go on, for I will see you tonight"

"Okay," Ryan said as he grabbed his keys and walked out his bedroom door.

"Bring me back a Caesar salad with salmon, fat free dressing on the side, no croutons. I'm not doing carbohydrates this month." Sharpay said to her brother as she went to make sure their mother did not stop breathing.

* * *

Gabriella Montez sat on the bed of her best friend and summer roommate Taylor McKessie, as she stuffed the last of Taylor's close into her suitcase. Being used to packing, Gabriella suitcases were together days ago. Taylor's room was covered with boxes, with Yale or bused on the side. Gabriella things were scattered between the storage unit at Stanford, her mother's new house in Malibu, California and the spare bed in Taylor's bedroom.

Gabriella chose to spend one last summer with her Albuquerque friends instead of staying at Stanford or spending the summer in Malibu with her mom. Gabriella worked as a lifeguard at one of the Evans hotels in town, where most of her friends also worked this summer. The only downside was Chad and her boyfriend Troy was not with them. Troy was a paid intern at the corporate headquarters of _Evans Hospitality worldwide_. While Chad after some time at Lava Springs became the personal assistant to Darby Evans, a position that Gabriella would love to have, as she was friends with Darby.

Gabriella knew Darby because they both attended the same support group or club as Gabriella refer to it to those people that she did not want to know the truth about her past. Unfortunately, Gabriella had not seen Darby recently at the club meetings and was beginning to get worried. Her understanding of Darby is the reason why Gabriella reached out Ryan to summer before and attempted to forgave Sharpay for trying to steal her boyfriend repeatedly.

Gabriella was well aware of how great friendships could fall apart because of time and distance. Therefore, she was willing to do anything to maintain them even swallow her pride and pretend that be something she is not. After moving over 10 times in as many years, Gabriella knew that all the technology the in the world could not keep relationships together. Out of all her former "best friends" she only stayed in contact with Alexis from Cleveland. Maybe that was because they both went through such painful and traumatic things together. Maybe it was because she felt guilty from numerous regarding Alexis. Alexis was the one helped Gabriella get out of the dark place she went to during her father sickness and subsequent death.

Ironically, as Gabriella was preparing to leave Albuquerque for good in two days, tonight Alexis and her aunt would be moving to Albuquerque. Alexis's aunt, the famous producer of the hit musical franchise _Singing in the Halls _and the award winning television show_ White America, _has accepted a teaching position at the University of Albuquerque. Alexis' will be a student at U of A and East High this fall.

"We have to leave in 10 minutes to make it to the luncheon on time," Taylor said from the doorway her room, clipboard of the luncheon schedule in hand.

"I can't believe you're taking this much stuff. I really need to teach you how to pack Taylor. You do realize Yale has stores." Gabriella Said as she placed the last of Taylor's things in her suitcase.

"Not all of us can be experts at packing." Taylor said with a smile, completely unaware her comments were hurtful. "Don't worry about it. I schedule two more hours for packing tonight when you go see your mother after she gets here from the Airport."

"Mom asked me to meet them in the morning at the hotel instead of coming over tonight. Besides I have a "club" meeting tonight." Gabriella was always extra careful around Taylor when it came to her "club meetings". Taylor expected everyone to be perfect and Gabriella was well aware that her weekly visits to Alcoholics Anonymous would be less than perfect to Taylor. Therefore, her current best friend knew hardly anything of her pre Albuquerque past. Especially anything involving the year Gabriella's father died.

"Why is she coming all the way from Malibu, just to sign the closing papers on the house?"

"She's actually coming here to help me settle in at school. Besides, she is not actually selling the house. The market is too bad for that right now. Mom and Madison are doing a house swap thing, where they will just live in each other's houses for two years. That way mom won't lose a substantial amount on the house and the press won't find out where Madison and Alexis really live." Gabriella said as she grabbed her purse from the side of the guest bed.

"Is your friend's Aunt Madison actually that famous?" Taylor asked as they began walking out of the house to Taylor's car.

"More than you ever known," Gabriella said mysteriously as she stepped into the car.

* * *

Malibu, California

Maria Montez stood in the borrowed home of one of her few friends, Madison Bryant. She carefully looked down at the shore below before focusing her attention on the teenager and baby playing in one of the three living rooms. In a few hours, she would return to Albuquerque New Mexico to send her baby girl off to college for good. She desperately wanted to spend this last summer with her daughter; instead, Gabriella chose to go back to New Mexico. Maria was sure that the chance to spend the summer on the beach with her old friend Alexis would entice Gabriella to spend the summer with her. Of course, she was wrong. Maria could not help but wonder if Gabriella was avoiding Alexis.

Maria always believed that Gabriella felt a certain amount guilt concerning what happened to Alexis that fateful night in February of 2006. Maria could not blame Gabriella, she too felt guilty. If she was not so wrapped up in our own grief for her husband who died just months before, she could have prevent her 15 year old daughter from taking a 13 year old to a raging party. If she were not so distant, maybe Gabriella would have told her what happened that night instead of waiting two days after Alexis washed the evidence down the drain and the drugs were out of her system. Then Maria could use her technical expertise to put the disgusting pervert who did this to that poor little girl in prison. If she knew right after it happened, she could have taken Alexis to the hospital to be examined and get the necessary emergency contraceptive. Maria was now fully aware that burden was completely on her, Alexis could never tell her grandmother with had happen to her and her mother was overseas serving our country.

Maria could still remember the terrified 13-year-old sitting on her daughter's bed, pregnancy test in hand. The tears completely covered the young girl's face as she held on to her best friend for dear life. Maria could remember her anger at Alexis's grandmother at her complete refusal to listen to the situation. Instead, the woman after calling Alexis nasty names, she kicked her 13 year old granddaughter on the street after she refused to have an abortion. Marie never hated anyone more than her entire life then Alexis's grandmother. She took Alexis' home with her that evening where she stayed until her mother came back from the war. Maria came out of her depression created by her husband's death while rising a pregnant 13 year old along with her recovering alcoholic 15-year-old daughter.

Fortunately, for Alexis her aunt Madison was a completely different woman from her wretched grandmother and absentee father. In the middle of a major project, she dropped everything to be with her niece when her grandmother kicked out the poor child. She missed her chance to accept her award for best Television series to serve as Alexis's birthing coach. She stopped working on the script of her latest masterpiece on the brink of the writers' strike, to be with Alexis when things truly fell apart. Now to give her niece a slightly more normal life, Madison would be leaving Hollywood behind for Albuquerque, New Mexico. This is why Maria Montez considers Madison Bryant one of her best friends.

Despite everything, Alexis sat in front of Maria with a smile on her face as she played with her beautiful daughter.

"Alexis, Maria, are you ready. The driver will be here in 10 minutes to take us to the Airport." Madison said as she walked into the large room. With blackberry in hand, she began to pull the luggage into the Fortier as she spoke to her manager and assistant.

"Go ahead and put out the press release tomorrow…" Madison yelled into the phone.

"Just tell them about my decision to take a couple years off to teach. I am always talking about helping others and setting an example for tomorrow's youth. What better way than becoming a professor at a University. I do not care what you have to tell the press, Tiffany. Just leave the kids out of it. Do not mention the incident May. Look the car will be here in a few minutes. I will call you when we get to Albuquerque to on out the rest of our plans. Yes, I will be back in a few weeks to finish of the work done on the last project. Tiffany they are just going to have to wait. Oh no, Hope do not do that. I Have to go Tiffany, the baby is trying to eat the plants " Alexis began laughing as she held little Hope in her arms as the little girl continued to enjoy her juice.

"Aunt Madison Please did not use my child as an excuse to avoid your agent. Tiffany, will believe that she is evil, when she is just perfect "At that moment Hope manage to pull the top off of her juice and promptly spilled the dark liquid all over her mommy new design a top.

"Oh yes she is mommy's little angel." Madison said with complete sarcasm as the driver pulled into the large circular driveway.

"Look the limo just got here. Let me take this little girl to the car, while you go change. Your back up outfit is in the diaper bag" Maria replied as she took the baby from Alexis.

"You are just as smart as your mommy. Gabriella did not learn how to do that until she was two years old. " Maria said with a laugh as she took the baby and car seat to the limo.

A/N: The lyrics of Maddie Rock are all original songs created by me unless otherwise stated. This story contained many original songs, because what is High School Musical without music.

* * *

Revised: 6/14/2009


	2. Chapter 2: Secrets

**Chapter 2: Secrets **

**Disclaimer: I do not own High School Musical. **

**The following work is based on characters created by Peter Barsocchini. The following is a work of fiction. **

**I do own any of the original characters and the plot for this story.**

* * *

Chapter Two: Secrets

Ryan always believed the Evans hotel in the center of town was a unique piece of beauty. The white and black marble interior and the stone and glass outside were such a contrast to the outside desert. The hotel was not the type of luxury people expected in New Mexico. Yet in a weird way, it made sense. As Ryan made his way up to the top floor, where the restaurant was, he took his time looking over the beauty of the architecture.

Unfortunately, every manager stopped him in an effort to suck up. He always found it surreal, that in every single hotel that his family owned he walked into the place and all the staff would immediately stopped what they were doing to assist him. Not one of them seems to have a problem abandoning the other customers. His sister loved the attention, but Ryan hated it. It felt as If they all believed that he was their careers salvation. Too many of them believed him to be a carbon copy of his father. However, Ryan Evans desired never to be anything like his dad.

When he was little Ryan wanted to be exactly like his father. Ryan wore blue pinstripe suits just like his father. He was on the little league baseball team just as his father did at Ryan's age. However, Ryan perception of his father fell apart during the summer of 2001. He finally realized his father was a conceited opportunistic bastard who cared more about his own pleasure, than the well-being of his wife and children. In June 2001 for the first time, Ryan caught Mr. Evans having an affair with someone else's wife. Unfortunately, it would not be the last time he caught his dad in the act. Ryan hated his father for this. After that summer, Ryan made it his mission in life to be the antithesis of the traditional Evans man.

Even though he was little league World Series good, he stopped playing baseball at the private junior high he attended and joined the dance team instead. He joined every musical and stage production from junior high until now. Just to defy the notion that Evans men did not go onstage. It was just a stroke of luck that he discovered his true passion, dance and choreography. He wore pink and sequent outfits, because he knew his father hated it. He even tried to wear a kilt to graduation just for the shock factor; unfortunately, Sharpay realized what he was doing and made him wear pants. For a long time he was doing a fabulous job at being the complete opposite of daddy dearest. Yet, he found himself in the same position as he caught his father in so many times do. Ryan was involved with someone else's lover.

It started simple enough, at prom when Sharpay and Chad were forced to stand in as Prom Queen and King when Gabriella and Troy did not show up. While Chad tried not to kill his sister and his own date served as the replacement for the DJ that never showed up, Ryan spent the evening keeping Taylor from having a nervous breakdown. As Taylor ranted about her perfect prom falling apart and how she couldn't believe Sharpay had enough friends/Hangers-on to come in as number two, he realized that she was actually more than just his best friend's girlfriend. He found her intelligent, witty, and engaging. For the next few weeks, he spoke to her every night on the phone.

As he now walked into the cafe and saw her arguing with her "boyfriend" he remembered how the relationship stop being simple. Two weeks after the musical, she kissed him at his graduation party after having one too many glasses of champagne. After tasting her kiss for the first time, things would never be simple again.

He broke up with Kelsey the next day. Ryan would not treat her, as his father treated Darby. However, Taylor could not or rather would not break up with Chad. He wondered why she would not do it. From his conversations with Chad, he knew that Taylor and Chad's relationship was falling apart even before she kissed him. However, every time he asked her to end the relationship, Taylor would have another excuse.

"Ryan, his uncle just left, this would devastate him. It's just not the right time to break up."

"Troy is leaving in a few weeks. It would be too hard on him to lose both of us at the same time."

"The anniversary of his mother's death is in a few days, it's just not the right time."

Of course, Ryan's personal favorite excuse was "We're going to school 2000 miles apart, just let the relationship fall apart on its own."

He knew that everything she said was just an excuse. For example, if she really cared about the anniversary of his mother's death, then she would not be taking an 8:00 AM flight this Wednesday. Wednesday would be the seventh anniversary of the death of Dominique Danforth. If she really cared about Chad, she would not cheat on him in the first place with Ryan. Despite everything, he kept his relationship with Taylor a secret from everyone, including his sister. Over the years, he has become an expert at keeping affairs from his sister, especially those of their father. He would meet up with Taylor at the hotel or Lava Springs for secret hookups. Yet, he keeps his distance from her and public. He was an expert at keep up appearances; after all, he was Darby's son too.

Tired of watching the argument he slowly walked over to the two. Both were too caught up in their fight to be aware of his presents.

"I've told you this was a formal luncheon and you where that" Taylor practically yelled at Chad.

"I'm wearing a jacket," Chad yelled back

"You're wearing a T shirt"

"So is Zeke!" Chad screamed defensively.

"Zeke isn't my boyfriend"

Ryan was almost positive he heard "any more" fall from Chad's lips, but, only almost. In that moment, Ryan began to wonder if he was the only person Taylor ever had on the side.

Thankfully, Zeke interrupted the escalating argument "Have any of you seen Sharpay. I need to talk to her about something."

"Good luck finding her since little Miss Perfection over here decided not to invite her." Chad answered in a way that only made Taylor more furious.

"This is a luncheon for employees of the Evans industries, not dependents. No offense Ryan" the look of annoyance on Taylor's face told Ryan he only had seconds to prevent an implosion.

"Chad I think I have a new shirt in my sweet here at the hotel that will fit you. Take my cardkey to sweet 1501." Ryan always found it weird he never felt any guilt towards Chad because of the current situation. As his father would say, "How can you break up a relationship that's already breaking up on its own?" However, he always felt a certain amount of guilt concerning Troy or Kelsey for his many transgressions against them.

"Do not worry about Sharpay; she was staying home with mom. Apparently, Darby has another bad headache. I wouldn't call Sharpay, but text messaging and IM should be OK."

For some reason, mention of Darby's headaches softened Chad's anger at Taylor enough for him to take the Key without any argument.

"Taylor can we see if we can work through some of the other problems?" he asked as he slowly let Taylor away by the hand.

The moment that Ryan and Taylor were away from the incoming guest, she pounced on his lips. Ryan was so caught in the moment that he did not notice a member of the staff watching everything. With an evil smirk upon her face, camera phone in hand the blonde headed girl achieved the perfect shot.

Taylor McKessie was in a complete panic less than 30 minutes before the luncheon was to begin. More so than at prom when the prom Queen and King did not show up, the DJ canceled last minute and her idiot boyfriend brought her the wrong color flowers. Before she left to pick up Gabriella, everything was perfect. Every place setting was in place and her friends were all sitting at her table. Now the appetizers were not ready, the head chef disappeared to god knows where and her friends were now sitting at different tables.

"Tiara I told you that Chad and Troy will be sitting at the Albuquerque Hotel table." Taylor screamed at the young blonde-haired woman assisting her.

"Miss McKessie according to Mr. Morse, our supervisor, all invitees is to be seated with their respective offices." Tiara said reverting to her perfect assistant persona.

"Tierra just change it"

"I'm sorry I can't do that" under her breath, Tiara added, "She cannot even pronounce my name right."

"Look I am one who is in charge of this event, and I say that my boyfriend gets to sit at my table." A course the real reason why Taylor wanted her boyfriend with her was not because she enjoyed his company but rather desired him to be her arm candy. Chad was not genius like Taylor. However, he was well liked and along with anyone. He had the perfect smile for a future "First Husband". Taylor knew that her White House aspirations would come true someday. However, Taylor sincerely doubted that Chad would be with her. She was not even sure if they would make it to winter break.

"Okay, Miss McKessie" Tierra replied as she walked away mumbling obscenities under her breath.

"Taylor, don't make a big deal." Gabriella replied as she placed her bag at her assigned table.

"It's just everything must be perfect."

"Taylor nothing in this life is perfect, the best we can hope for is controlled chaos," Chad said as he walked in the door 15 minutes early wearing the wrong outfit. She knew she should have picked out his clothing.

"It's okay I don't mind sitting with the Lava Springs contingent. I have not seen most of them sense I switched positions. Besides, we have the rest of today and all day tomorrow to spend together. " Chad said this as he tried to kiss her on the cheek. However, Taylor pulled away from his kiss.

"Actually, I have to go home and finish packing after the luncheon. Also, I am going to be tide of all day and tomorrow with last minute stuff for Ryan's party." Of course, she would never tell Chad what she would actually be doing with Ryan tomorrow at his home.

"I would really like to spend some time with you before you leave Wednesday morning."

Instead of responding to her boyfriend, she chose to change the subject.

"I've told you this was a formal luncheon and you where that" as she motioned to his "I worked for crazy people" T-shirt. The moment the angry words left her mouth, she felt Ryan approach her. Although she continued to fight with Chad, her heart was no longer in it. Instead of focusing on the target of her animosity, her gaze switched to the blonde man standing beside her. She was thankful that Ryan had solved the situation so quickly. Because a fight breaking out in the middle of the luncheon as the guests were starting to arrive would definitely be less than perfect.

The second she and Ryan were out of the view of their friends, her lips were upon his in a desperate attempt to forget about anything else. She wished she could stay in this place with Ryan forever, but she could not do that.

"I have to go back out their" Taylor said as she began to straighten out her skirt.

"We could go back out their Together" Ryan began hesitantly.

"Now just isn't the right time…"

"When are you going to break up with him? Are you going to end it via e-mail during your first semester at Yale? Maybe you can just end it when he proposes to you." Ryan knew he was practically yelling at Taylor. He just did not care anymore. "It's never the right time to breakup was someone Taylor. However, it is better than both of you being in an unhappy relationship are.

"Can we not talk about this right now? Gabriella is going to be out tonight. Do you want to come over?"

Before Ryan could even respond, Taylor said, "I'll see you at seven. " With one last look at Ryan Taylor walked out the door and straight into her assistant for the summer.

"I've been looking for everywhere for you Miss McKessie. It seems that we have a bit of the situation. Unfortunately, Mr. Madison will not allow us to adjust the seating chart. He said something about rules being Rules."

"That is just great," Taylor grumbled angrily

"Also one of the recipients of the employee of the summer of award is not coming, Dominique Bolton. I believe she is Troy's cousin or something. According to Troy, she never got the invitation." The blonde girl replied with the ultimate fake smile.

At that moment, the only thing Taylor wanted to do was remove the smile off Tierra face, violently.

* * *

After being forced to change shirts by his frustrating girlfriend and accidentally destroyed one of Sharpay's tops in the process, (do not ask), he returned to the luncheon already in progress. Instead of going to his assigned seat, he snuck into a seat in the back, to sit through the long-winded speeches and pointless posing. The highlight of the entire event was when the head of HR announced that the employee of the summer of award recipient Dominique Bolton was actually Sharpay Evans in character for the summer.

He thoroughly enjoyed the site of his friends choking on their beverages in shock. He hoped the photographer got a great shot. Even Ryan looked completely shocked, apparently having never been let in on the secret. The only two not surprised where Troy and himself. Taylor did not seem shock just angry and Gabriella kept whispering "Bolton" repeatedly. He was sure Gabriella and Taylor would never speak to him again if they found out that they knew about the stunt the entire summer.

After the formal presentation was over and the food was served Chad decided to avoid Taylor, it just was not worth the effort now. He stayed to the back of the café, a plate of appetizers in his hands, not in a mood to mingle. Instead, he watched his friends, his colleagues, and complete strangers interact with each other. Occasionally, someone would come up to him to talk about how lucky Chad was to have such an important job so quickly or what a great job he was doing.

He could not stand the fake people giving praise to people that they normally put down. He could not take people coming up to speak to him just because he was Darby Evans assistant. If only they knew what the job really involved, none of these people would envy him. They reminded him of the people who hung onto his mother during her modeling career, before they settled down in New Mexico and everything fell apart. These were all individuals that would love you to your face and stab you in the back the moment you turnaround. He just wanted to leave this shallow place.

Chad was not only avoiding the young and shallow; he was also avoiding his friends. He was tired of how they purposely tried to avoid the fact that they were leaving and he was staying here. They all acted as if leaving him behind in Albuquerque was such a great tragedy. Chad was happy to be here. Because Albuquerque is the closest thing, he will ever have to home again.

Gabriella was the worst of all. She acted as if she stole his best toy, because Troy was going with her to school. After the initial shock wore off, Chad was okay with Troy going to Berkeley. He was happy that his friend was going after his own dreams. Unlike Gabriella, Chad knew his best friend was not going to Berkeley to follow her. Troy might be following his desire to be on stage or his desire to get away from his parents. Troy was definitely not going there for Gabriella. If his best friend were really going to college 1000 miles away for some girl, he would smack him upside the head.

For some reason the only person other than Troy that treated him as she/he normally did was Ryan. Actually for some reason Chad was the only person that Ryan was treating normally. Ryan was still avoiding Kelsey, which makes sense because of the breakup. He hoped for their sake that they could be friends again at Juilliard. However, Ryan was also avoiding Troy and Gabriella. He even seemed to be distant with Taylor again.

Ryan walked Up to Chad "Why are you still hiding back here?" Ryan asked softly

"I am avoiding my girlfriend. She is going to kill me when she finds out that I helped your sister with her 'acting exercise' this summer."

"And Sharpaysaid she didn't have any friends."

"What?" Chad asked in surprise.

"Sharpay said she didn't want to come because she didn't have any friends here and everyone hated her." Chad found Ryan's words shocking. He had no ideal felt that way. "However, if you and Troy were in on the joke, maybe she has friends." before Chad could respond Ryan had walked back to where the "happy "couple, Gabriella and Troy' sat cuddling.

Chad could not help but find the sickening sweet scene nauseating. Gabriella was showing photographs of her goddaughter, that she never mentioned until two weeks ago, around the table. Now she took every opportunity to talk about Alexis and baby hope. Gabriella never talked about her pre New Mexico Life, except that she did not want to be forced into a category again. She rarely talked about her father, especially his absence. Chad could understand, discussing his mother was a painful subject, however; Troy, Sharpay, and Taylor knew about everything. Taylor knew everything because she was his girlfriend, Troy because he is his best friend and Sharpay because she was there. If it were not for Mrs. Montez accidentally saying something to Troy, no one in the group would know about Mr. Montez's death for cancer in late 2005.

"She is so cute." Kelsey said as she looked at the screen of Gabriella's phone. "She looks like she is winking at the camera"

"She looks like a chubby little Buddha," commented Martha.

"How can someone our age have a child?" Taylor said in a condescending way that always got on Chad's nerves. "Why did she go through the pregnancy or give the baby up for adoption? I mean if she is as smart as you say she is; how did she get pregnant in the first place? I mean if she didn't get pregnant that she could be at Stanford with you?" almost everyone seemed shocked by Taylor seemingly insensitive statements. Only Gabriella and Ryan, who understood normal Taylor behavior, were not surprised.

Troy was the first one to respond, "I seriously doubt that raising a toddler with keeps somebody who was willing to walk away from her entire family for the sake of her child from doing something she really wants to do."

"Not everyone wants to go to Stanford," Kelsey added quietly.

As Taylor began to go off, again, so did Chad cell phone. A text message from Sharpay appeared on the screen.

Mountain lion: Are you board yet?

Instead of continuing to eavesdrop on the argument taking place two tables over, Chad chose the text message Sharpay back.

Bball boy2: Completely, I am text-messaging U.

Mountain lion: LOL. What are you doing?

Bball boy2: Watching Taylor put her foot in her mouth.

Mountain lion: I wonder if synthetic leather is slimming.

Bball boy2: probably no worse than eating crow. However, this is nowhere near as humbling for her. How is Darby?

Mountain lion: breathing but unconscious

Bball boy2: Do you need me to come over?

5 minutes later Chad began to worry when Sharpay did not respond, she never ended text message discussions abruptly.

Mountain lion: forwarded from 555-555-5309: I think we should break up.

Mountain lion: Men are idiots

Chad could not believe Zeke just broke up with Sharpay by text message. So concentrated on understanding what Sharpay text him Chad miss the fight breaking out behind him. Before he knew it, his best friend had Zeke Baylor spread out on the floor of the cafe. Chad grabbed his phone and began filming the rest of the fight for posterity. Jason, Ryan and Jimmy were needed to keep Troy from renewing his attack a third time. When security finally arrived, Zeke was the one taken away on Ryan's orders. Chad was sure Sharpay forwarded Zeke's message to her brother.

Bball boy2: Troy just beat up your now ex-boyfriend.

Mountain lion: Please tell me you have pictures?

Bball boy2: Of course.

Why did Troy punch Zeke?

* * *

Will Chad ever find out about his girlfriend's affair?

Who was the blonde-haired woman who took a compromising photograph of Ryan and Taylor?

What else is Gabriella hiding?

What will happen, when Alexis arrives in New Mexico?

Find out next time on It All Falls Apart.

* * *

A/N: The ideal for Ryan's attempted graduation outfit was taken from the _HSM 3 Graduation Day_ Barbie doll series by Mattel. For some reason Mattel decided to have a lot of fun with Ryan's outfit choices for the series.

* * *

Revised 6/14/2009


	3. Chapter 3: Everyone Just Assumes

**Chapter 3: Chapter 3: Everyone Just Assumes**

Thank you to everyone who read the first two chapters of this story. In addition, thank you to all the reviewer, you comments have helped me decide what I wanted to do with this fiction. I have made some minor changes to the previous chapters to increase consistency and to be more in line with canon. In addition, I have posted a companion piece to this story called _cracks in the foundation._ This is going to be a collection dabbles or shorts of key moments that led to the events of this story. You do not have to read it to understand this story, but it may help.

Disclaimer: If I owned high school musical, it would have been a lease rated PG 13. As you know, I do not own.

* * *

Chapter Three: Everyone Just Assumes

It was not uncommon at LAX to see celebrities coming back and forth from their many trips abroad. Many went unnoticed in the crowd of people. Others celebrities were followed constantly by reporters. R &B superstar Maddie Rock hoped that the baseball Cap, sunglasses, and caring her grandniece would keep the public from noticing her. She normally had no trouble signing autographs and posing for pictures. However, right now she just wanted to get to New Mexico without either of her or her alter ego turning the Airport into a media circus.

Before heading to the first class lounge, Maddie stops at a newsstand to pick up a few tabloids. For some masochistic reason she enjoyed reading their outlandish stories about her life. This week she was having an affair with super producer/writer Madison Bryant. Apparently, she broke off her engagement with fellow musician Jordan West for the other woman. The story was so off the mark that Madison could not help but laugh.

Everyone just assumed that they knew what type of person she was from her music and image. When Maddie's first album came out during the early days of the Backstreet Boys/TRL Revolution, she was marketed as the next Brandy who just happens to dress like Little Kim. Her first album was pure bubblegum and not one of her own songs made the cut. People assumed that she was a sexy airhead who had a beautiful voice. No one knew she could write songs, or that she started college at 15 and was already in the middle of her third year when she hit. No one assumed she was a brilliant writer or she could direct her own music videos. However, Maddie wanted to be a star so she went along with it.

After being told by her handlers that her graduating from college at 19 could possibly alienate some of her fan Maddie created Madison. Madison Bryant was everything that Maddie was told she could it be. Madison had a Bachelor in Diversity studies, A Master's degree in film and a Doctorate in literature. Madison could write stories and songs and not be questioned about it. Madison could be anonymous.

However, by 2004 Maddie decided to shop around a script about African American and Latino college students at a predominantly White university called White America under her own name. No one would touch it because no one assumed she would have any talent. A few months later Maddie tried again with a musical based at an urban high School called _Singing in the Halls_. Again, no one touched it. Therefore, Maddie decided for Madison take the credit for the two works. Within weeks both projects were green lighted and Madison Bryant would never be anonymous again. It was so much easier to go out before anyone could recognize Madison.

"Why are you laughing Madison" Alexis asked her aunt as she walked into the first class lounge carrying Hope.

"Apparently, I am the first person in history to ever have an affair with myself." Said Maddie as she passed the magazine to Alexis and Maria.

"I thought that was called master…"

"Don't finish that statement Lexis" Alexis immediately stopped talking at her aunt's words.

"Isn't this the same tabloid that said the Maddie and you were long lost twins separated at birth last week?" Maria asked. "Why do you keep reading these things?"

"I just like to see how wrong they can be sometimes. Apparently, there is no such thing as consistency in tabloids." Answered Maddie. "You think that they could the least get the part about Jordan dumped me for wanting to take care of my niece, correct. Nevertheless, the ass has to go on every single talk show from here to Manhattan talking about how I left him for someone else. So now, everybody thinks I am the loose woman they have always thought I was. I am so tired of everybody assuming that they know who I am. They do not know anything about me at all. "

"I thought he broke up with you because you wouldn't put out. At least they didn't mention the MTV Movie Awards incident."

"No more comments, Alexis. Besides no one will believe that truth because it doesn't coincide with their assumptions." Maddie finished in an extremely sarcastic tone.

"I can understand why you are so upset Aunt Madison. I am going to run into the same problem when classes start at both A of U and East High. Gabriella told me about how everybody tried to put her in some silly little category her first week at East High. They are going to have a field day categorizing a 15-Year-Old Junior, who is also a sophomore at the University of Albuquerque, who is a premedical student. Once they find out about Hope, it is going to be ugly. Everybody's is going to assume because I have a 22 months old daughter because I was easy or reckless. I don't want to tell the entire school the entire sordid story."

"Things have gotten better. There's not as much stereotyping or forcing students to maintain the status quo as in the past." Maria said to reassure Alexis.

"There is a big difference between accepting that the basketball captain dreams of starting in _cabaret _and the genius teenage mommy new kid, is a more than just those labels. How many girls with children were in Gabriella's graduating class? There was none. If someone got pregnant, she switched schools. At least it will not be as bad at college. Everyone will just assume I am a 19 or 20-year-old single parent, because no one will accept a 15 year old in his or her organic chemistry class.

"You don't have to tell anybody anything you don't want to Alexis. If you're worried about it we can always tell people that Hope is your sister or my daughter." Maddie responded.

"I'm not going to lie about it. I am her mother for better or worse. If I were going to do that, I would have signed custody over to you when she was first born. This is my life and people are just going to have to deal with it. Just like everyone is going to need to deal the fact that Maddie rock/Madison Bryant is the complete antithesis of who they all assumed she is."

"Why you think I switched labels and am recording the new album in New Mexico? It's time for both of us to be ourselves." Maddie said filled with enthusiasm.

"Whoever that may be," Maria added in a quiet voice

"Thank you" both Alexis and Maddie said at the same time.

Before security even had Zeke in the elevator, Taylor had tossed her keys to Gabriella and ordered her to take her stupid boyfriend home before he could do any more damage. The long ride back to the suburbs seemed to take forever. Troy could see how angry Gabriella was by the way she clutched the steering wheel for dear life. Not a single word was exchange between the two for first 15 minutes of the drive.

Troy knew that he should not have punch Zeke out. He relies now that it was a stupid decision. After spending the entire summer working with Sharpay, he considered her a friend. Troy would not allow any of his friends to be talked about in such terms by someone who was supposed to care about them. Besides, If did not do it, Ryan surely would have. You do not talk about certain things you did or did not do with ones sister without getting attacking.

"Are you sleeping with Sharpay?" at that moment Troy was thankful he was not driving because his surprise at Gabriella's question would have prevented him from driving the car. It was too out in left field.

"Why are you asking such a question?" Troy responded.

"Are you sleeping with her?"

"I'm with you. Do you have any idea how much I care about you. Why would I be with anyone else? Why would you ask that?"

"Well the fact that you just attacked her boyfriend in the middle of the luncheon might have something to do with it."

"If Zeke said the same thing about you I would have done the exact same thing."

"Yes but you're my boyfriend. You are supposed to defend my honor not hers. "

"She's my friend, Gabriella. I do not know where this is coming from. "

"Or maybe the fact you're always talking about her. Sharpay said I should do a double major. Sharpay said I should take this acting class. Sharpay said I should apply to this summer program next year. Sharpay this and Sharpay that all summer long." Gabriella almost finished in a scream.

"I think we should pull over to talk about this. Sharpay and I are taking the same courses. We are majoring in the same thing. She has been into acting a lot longer than I have."

"In May you wanted nothing to do with her during the play. You could not stand her, now your friends. Friends with benefits maybe, but you are not friends." Gabriella yelled as she entered the parking lot of a local strip mall.

"We didn't get along because I missed you. She was trying to be you and it did not work. She was trying to be the ultimate diva as well and that did not work. However, when she started being Sharpay again, the one I grew up we became friends again. I realize that we were not so different anymore. High schools over Gabriella, maybe it is time we all move past everything. She does not even want me. She is in love with someone else."

"She hasn't changed, she still the person who tried to take you away last summer"

"I am not going to argue with you anymore. You're not listening to a word I'm saying." Troy said as he unbuckled his seat belt and got out of the car. "I'll call you tomorrow."

"Fine whatever Troy. I hope you're happy with her." Gabriella yelled at him as she pulled off in Taylor's car.

He stared after her car for a few minutes wondering what just happen. Every time things were not perfect in the relationship, she would run. Run away from him, run away from the truth of the matter. She was never willing to work out things. He was tired of chasing after her. As he grabbed his cell phone out of his pocket, he began to wonder if real love was supposed to be like this.

"Hi dad you can pick me up? Gabriella dropped me off at the strip malls down from West High… I really don't want talk about it."

* * *

Tiara Gold slowly began to pick up the mess that was now the sky café. Dinner would be starting in less than an hour and the dining room was still covered with broken glass and dishes. Tiara could not understand how two boys could do this much damage in only a few minutes by themselves. More importantly, she could not understand how none other than Sharpay Evans triggered the fight. Tiara could not understand how the ice princess could trigger such a reaction from the opposite sex.

Tiara could not stand Sharpay. Three months as the personal assistant for the most conceited woman on the planet was more than Tiara could take. If it were not for the pay and her desire to infiltrate the east high drama department during her junior year, Tiara would have dropped a stage light on Sharpay by the end of the second week. In the end, Tiara had her revenge by taking over Sharpay part as in the musical, as well as, taking over the drama department next fall.

Unfortunately, that revenge was tainted by the announcement that princes Sharpay would be back to assist with the east high drama department during the fall. She knew Sharpay would never let her take over the drama department now. It was purely coincidental that his summer job as a junior staff at the Evans hotel presented her with the ultimate opportunity for revenge. If her plan worked she would not only take control of the East High drama club, she would also take down her new evil boss and Sharpay little puppy at the same time.

According to her parents' custody agreement, after their messy divorce last January, she was to spend summers with her mom in London and the school year in New Mexico with her father. Of course, Tiara's mother was too busy for her daughter this summer. She asked her daughter if she could stay in New Mexico with her father. Now Tiara was the assistant to the only person who could possibly be a worse boss than Sharpay, Taylor McKessie.

Taylor was 10 times more demanding than Sharpay ever was. She expected everybody to be perfect. If Sharpay noticed something was wrong, she would tell you exactly what you did wrong. Then she was explained how to correct the situation. Taylor on the other hand would yell at you until you did what she wanted, yet she never told you how to improve. The only thing working to Tiara's advantage was only Sharpay knew her true nature.

Tiara was currently stuck cleaning the cafe with Jimmy, as little miss perfect when off to play with her boy toy on the side. If she told anybody that perfect Taylor McKessie was cheating on her boyfriend, no one would believe her. In her pocket was not only her proof of Taylor's transgression, but also the key to her getting exactly what Tiara wanted.

* * *

Sharpay Evans was annoyed. She stood the in her bedroom tearing through boxes and suitcases digging out everything her now ex-boyfriend gave her. She was not angry at him for breaking up with her. She knew this was coming ever sense prom when she was not able to be with him completely. That night she realized she could never love him, not when she kept comparing him to the one that got away. The one she let get away because she was so concerned with her own popularity. It was now too late to do the right thing. Too many bridges were burnt.

No, Sharpay was angry because Zeke did not have the balls to break up with her in person. How in the hell could Zeke Baylor break up with her by text message. She would not do that to him. Even though their yearlong relationship never went past baked goods and kisses, they deserve closure. However, the coward could not even do that. She needed to throw something. In the third box, she found the glass Fenton teddy bear he gave her for her last birthday almost a year earlier. She threw it against the floor expecting it to shatter in a 1000 pieces. Instead, it bounced off the bed without a scratch.

"What did that bear do to you?" A voice called from the hallway.

"It was a birthday present from Zeke. What are you doing here? How did you get to my room?" Sharpay asked as she threw the teddy bear that Zeke gave her last Valentine's Day in a box with the other trinkets.

"I used my key to get into the house. Your brother and I drew straws to see who would deal with you and Taylor."

"You got the short straw?"

"No, your brother did. That's why I'm here to deliver your late lunch and to keep you from murdering Zeke in asleep." Chad said as he handed the bag from the restaurants to her." Although it looks like you are planning on recreating that scene from _Waiting to Exhale_."

"Only if we can do it on Zeke lawn," Sharpay said half joking.

"I think its forest fire season. You don't want to kill innocent squirrels in your quest for vengeance?"

"Yes we mustn't kill the wildlife. Actually, I decided to be the man in our relationship and complete this break up in person. Therefore I am giving him back everything he ever gave me that was none perishable."

"You're not going to do anything rash are you?"

"I won't do anything rash. I am not even angry that we are breaking up. I have seen this coming for a while. I do not love him. I do not think I could. It is somewhat hard to understand what love is when you grow up in a place where love is a commodity. Here in this house, love is used as a means to hurt people. It is a way to control. Love is about image, not compassion. I think I fell in love once, but I was so concerned with how people view me that I let it get away." To avoid looking at Chad when she said the words she began to take her lunch out of the bag. If she looked at him right now, he would know exactly whom she was referring to.

"Was it Troy?" Chad asked softly.

"No, it was not Troy. Why does everyone think I am in love with Troy?

"Because you chase Troy around like a lost puppy all last summer."

"I did not. I do not chase boys. It was just a crush. I rather play Juliet to his Romeo on the stage than in the real world. Hey I thought I asked for a Caesar salad," she said as she pulled French fries and a giant burger out of the bag.

"Salads are not exactly good for broken hearts. I thought you could use some junk food. Do not worries the burger is Turkey and your potato are baked not fried. There is no way I could ever get you to be a real burger and fries again even if you are emotion eating. Though I see you're not brokenhearted."

"Not heartbroken, just pissed off. Although I thought, you and everyone else believed I was the ice princess who was unable of having her heart broken. " She said as she took a bite of the blue cheese Turkey burger. "This is really good."

"That line doesn't work on me. I have seen you cry before."

"So has Troy."

"No, I mean I have really seen you cry not because you did not get your way that because of something truly profound happens."

"The night of the tree house incident," Sharpay said as she blushed a little.

"I was thinking of the night we drove a wasted Darby back from Lava Springs for the first time. Not that the Tree house incident was not important. You have been so close off for so long and that night you started to come back. "

"Just been the person of her one expects me to be," Sharpay it said taking a bite of the fries.

"That stops now, grab your food," he said as he grabbed to the box of Zeke gestures of "love".

"Where are we going?"

"We are going to go you get some closure." He grabbed her hand and took her out the door.

* * *

A/N: If you want to find out exactly what happens during the great Tree house incident please read chapter one of the companion story to this C_racks in the Foundation._


	4. Conversations You Never Wanted to Have

Thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter.

**Disclaimer: I do not own High School Musical. **

**I do own any of the original characters as well as the plot for this story.**

* * *

Chapter Four: Conversations You Never Wanted to Have.

Zeke Baylor sat in his living room holding an ice pack to his now swollen eye. The black eye was painful, but it was a small price to pay to know the truth. His girlfriend was cheating on him with Troy Bolton. He knew this would happen. She has been chasing after Troy sent she started at East High four years ago. It only took her four years to finally get what she wanted.

He has been suspicious for months. Ever sense the night of prom when Sharpay turned him down for sex and threw a tantrum when Troy didn't show up to the dance. The fact that she spent the whole summer with Troy just increased his suspicion. Even though she won the award today, he doubts that she actually had any interest in business. It was just an excuse to be with Troy. She was always making excuses to spend time with Troy. Like her mother actually had that many headaches. She always spoke about Troy in the most flattering terms. Sharpay barely even kissed him anymore.

Therefore, when Taylor said something utterly stupid at the luncheon today he used the opportunity to bait Troy. If he really cared about Sharpay, Zeke knew he would be out on the floor before he even finished the sentence. The breakup was inevitable. Even if Sharpay was faithful to him, their relationship could not withstand the separation of hundreds of miles that college would bring. He even sent the text message minutes before the first punch was fired. He just needed to know if she was with Troy. Now he knew the answer.

He knew it was the coward's way out. At least he did end the relationship. He wondered if she would just keep leading him on if he did not breakup with her first. He half expected her to come here and demand for him to breakup with her in person. As he looked outside his window and noticed the blonde headed girl approaching his home, he knew he would not be disappointed.

When he imagined the scene in his head, he expected to see tears running down her beautiful face. However, her eyes were not even red. She was not screaming or yelling. No display Sharpay in a state of absolute anger. Instead, she just calmly grabbed a box out of the back seat of her car. Even from in the House he could tell the box contained the many things he gave her over the course of their sham of a relationship. This was Just another point to prove that she was in love with someone else.

She did not come alone. He knew it was possible that Troy would come with her. He was expecting some big a heartfelt confession on her part. He wanted her to beg for his forgiveness. However, Troy was not the person she brought with her. No the curly haired boy in the blue vintage convertible was definitely not Troy. As he watched the boy squeezed the hand of his now ex girlfriend in support, Zeke began to wonder if maybe he got it all wrong. This was definitely going to be a very uncomfortable conversation.

* * *

It seemed to take Jack Bolton forever to get across town to pick up his only child from the strip mall where his girlfriend stranded him. It was not the first time that Gabriella and Troy had an argument so bad that Gabriella would abandon Troy at a restaurant or parking lot. Actually, this was the second time this month. The whole situation bothered Jack tremendously. Wednesday he will be letting his only child go to college 1000 miles away for a girl who runs away at the first sign of trouble. If Jack acted like Gabriella, his marriage would have been over long ago. It is not that he did not like Gabriella; it is just that he wondered if she had the emotional maturity to make a relationship work beyond the puppy love stage.

As he pulled into the strip mall parking lot, he saw his son calmly drinking an iced cappuccino in front of Starbucks. He was expecting to see a petulant teenager angry with his girlfriend. Instead, Troy appeared to be the picture of serenity. Within seconds, Troy began to make his way to the car.

"Do I even want to know why she abandoned you in the parking lot this time?" Jack asked Troy as he sat down in the passenger seat of the SUV.

"I don't think I can tell you this time. I am not even 100% sure what I did this time. I did not even do anything. She just thinks I did something stupid." Troy said to his father.

"It is at least a 25 minute drive to the house in rush hour traffic, we have time."

"I punched Zeke out at the luncheon."

"Didn't we have this conversation about violence not solving anything when you were five?" Jack said in an annoyed voice as he began to pull into traffic.

"I realize it was a stupid decision. However, Sharpay is my friend again and I couldn't let him talk about her like she was trash." Although Jack was uneasy about Troy halving a relationship with anyone in the Evans family, he was glad that the two were able to put the past behind them. He was actually happy that the two were friends again.

"It's great that you defended your friend. Although assault charges are not always a good thing. Why was Gabriella so upset?"

"Gabriella assumes because I punched out Zeke for saying nasty things about Sharpay I must be sleeping with Sharpay."

"You're not are you?" It was not that Jack did not trust his son, it is just you can never be sure with these types of situations. Jack trust of his wife would not cheat on him and that did not quite work out the way it should have. Love can make people do desperate things. Especially when an Evans was involved. He knew that if an Evans wanted something, they would not stop until they got what they want, even if it is someone else's lover.

"I would never cheat on Gabriella. Why is everybody assuming that I would sleep around?" Troy said in a very upset voice.

"Because it happens all the time in relationships Troy. Even in the strongest relationships. Sometimes temptation is just too much." As he said last part, Jack found his voice suddenly became very weary.

"Has this happened in your relationship with mom?"

Jack had no idea how to answer this question without revealing something that he never wanted his son to know about. As he took a deep breath to calm his nerves he finally said "I've never cheated on your mother. I will not say that I have not been tempted before, that would be a lie. However, when I dedicated myself to your mother it was forever. I have stayed with your mother in good times and bad." Jack would never tell his son what some of those bad times were.

"Has mom ever cheated on you?"

His son just had to ask the one question he never wanted to answer. He wishes he could run away from the question. Unfortunately, Troy had to ask about this while they were sitting in the car in rush-hour traffic. He would not lie to Troy. It is one thing to protect your children by omission; it is another thing to lie to their face. Even though the incident of adultery happened seven years ago, he was not ready to talk about what happen. Only once before had he talked about the incident with anyone else but those involved. Ironically, that one person happened to be a complete stranger at the time, going through the exact same situation. At this moment, Jack's only option was to ignore the question.

"I know in the movies and on television affairs are treated as some wonderful thing. They make cheating look as if it is perfectly normal and socially acceptable. However, there are serious consequences to such actions. Right now, you and Gabriella are not in a committed relationship. The T necklace and class ring does not count as a commitment. There is no wedding ring or commitments ceremony involve. There is no legal binding paperwork to signify your relationship. Maybe moving 1000 miles away to go to college near her may count as the beginning of commitment, but let us not talk about that today. If you want to be with Sharpay or anyone else, break it off now. If you are not sure if Gabriela is the one, let go now. Don't keep holding on to something that isn't working." Jack was saying the words for Troy as much as he was himself at that moment. For too long he tried to hold on to a relationship that was completely crumbling around him.

"I'm not going to Berkeley for Gabriella. Going to Berkeley has nothing to do with Gabriella. It was just an easy explanation." Troy said in complete calmness.

"Then why go to college 1000 miles away? You could just as easily study acting here just like Sharpay is doing?"

"Could I really study acting at A of U without everyone trying to make me into their own interpretation of me? It is better this way. I need to break free from everyone's assumptions. I cannot do that here. I need to be by myself for a while, to figure out who I am. As for Sharpay she didn't have any choice besides A of U."

Jack knew Sharpay was a honor roll student. How could no other school want her? He have a feeling this was all Vince or Darby fault. Jack knew first hand that if Evans wanted something nothing could prevent him/her from getting what he/she wants.

"Sharpay is just a friend, dad. If my relationship with Gabriella were to end it with not have anything to do with Sharpay. The problems in my relationship with Gabriella go beyond Sharpay Evans or our latest fight. Things have not been going well for months. Dad is love supposed to be like this?"

"Like what?"

"All the fighting and accusations, it's all too much. This is the sixth time you had that to pick me up this summer after one of our arguments. Every time some things going wrong in our relationship she runs away. She never tries to talk things out. She ran away from Lava Springs last summer when we started having problems. Last April, she ran away to Stanford because the pressure of growing up was too much for her. I chased after her both times and I am tired of running after her. Even if she does something wrong, I am the one who has to forgive her. I am the one who chases after her. Dad I'm tired of chasing after someone who doesn't chase after me."

"She doesn't trust me dad. Do you know that she never told me about the death of her father? Maria told me. I did not even know about her friend Alexis until two weeks ago. There are so many secrets in our relationship. Do I even know who she is? How is this love? What's love in this situation?"

"I know you don't want to hear this, maybe this isn't love. Maybe it is only infatuation. Maybe what you feel is the only extreme like for Gabriela. You are not even 18 yet; maybe you are not ready to experience what love really is. I did not meet your mother until I was 23, after I graduated college. Your aunt Margaret did not meet the love of her life until she was 39 years old. You have time to figure this out later. Maybe you already met the love of your life and didn't know it. Go to Berkeley, figure out who you want to be before you trying to find the person you want to be with."

"Are you saying I should break up with Gabriella?" Troy asked his father with a bit of trepidation on his part.

"No, I'm saying find yourself first. Everything else will work out eventually."

"You never answered my question."

"About love?"

"No, about mom. Did she ever cheat on you?"

For a moment, nothing could be heard in the car besides the traffic outside.

"Your silence is answer enough. It was seven years ago, wasn't? The summer of 2001 where you guys are arguing all the time. She was gone for a month that summer. Did she leave us for someone else?" Troy said as his voice began to break a bit.

"Troy your mom would never leave you behind. Your mom loves you very much." Jack said to reassure his son.

"But she left us?"

"She did not leave you that summer. But she was with someone else." Jack said in a very quiet voice.

"Who was it? Is it someone I know? Was he a parent of one out my friends?"

"Do you really want to know the answers to those questions?" Jack said, hoping to avoid Troy's final question at all cost.

"Not really. However, I need to know. Why did you and mom not tell me? Why did you keep her affair a secret for so long? I always thought that you and mom were fighting that summer because of me?"

"No matter what problems your mother and I have, never blame yourself. You are not responsible for our problems. We thought it was better if you did not know. We were trying to put things back together again."

"By pretending it never happened? How is that going to help, dad? You and mom were running away from the problem, just as Gabriella does. I might be only 17. but I know that running away doesn't help the situation."

"You're right avoidance does not solve anything. If you want to know the identity of the person talk to your mother about what happened."

"I may do that. I probably will build up the courage to ask her about it by Thanksgiving. By the way who was your temptation to cheat on mom?"

"Maddie Rock"

"I can understand that, I have several of her posters at the house" Apparently Troy thought his father was joking. If only Troy knew the whole story, Jack thought to himself.

* * *

Sharpay slowly walked to the front door of her ex's house carrying the mementos of their relationship. She hoped they could have a mature conversation about the whole thing.

"Are you fucking him?" At his harsh words, she realized that all hope of a rational resolution was lost.

"Chad and I are just friends. Stop being so jealous of every person I have a conversation with. It does not matter anymore anyway, because you broke up with me. I'm just here to give you back everything you ever gave me that was not edible." It took all of Sharpay's energy to not lash out at Zeke as she gave her speech.

"I was talking about Troy. Maybe you are screwing Chad as well. Troy and Chad have always been close, maybe to close. Maybe you are sleeping with both of them at the same time. You seem like the type of person who would have a threesome with someone else's boyfriend."

"Don't ever talk about my friends like that again." She said with more anger than she ever felt before. "Believe whatever you want. Have a good life Zeke and I will see you at the 10-year reunion when you are not such a moron."

As she walked away from him, he grabbed onto her arm, pulling her back towards him. Her years as a dancer may it easy for her to get away from his grasp. But she knew she would have a large bruise there in the morning. At least after the prom incident he didn't leave any bruises.

"Don't touch me." She yelled at the top of her lungs as she began to walk away.

He grabbed for her again. Before he could touch her again, a angry fist connected with Zeke's face. Chad was standing beside her now completely angry at the boy lying on the floor.

"If you ever touch her again, they won't be able to find your body." Chad said in the coldest voice sharp hate ever heard.

"Like you would do such a thing. Like you could get away with such a thing." Zeke taunted from the floor.

"You forget Zeke my family owns this town. If you mess with us, you won't survive it." Sharpay said as Chad slowly grabbed her hand and pulled her away from the house.

"Go ahead and play with your new toy. Although, Chad I don't know how much fun it's going to be because she doesn't put out." Apparently Zeke forgot about accusing her of sleeping with Chad two minutes earlier.

"He won't have the same problem you did. Because, I actually love him." she said the words an absolute anger at her crazy Ex.

As Sharpay got into the car she began to tear up. "If you ask me if I'm okay, I will smack you." Sharpay said as her voice began to break up.

"Are you okay?" Of course he asked her with a smile on his face.

"You are such a smart ass."

"But you love me anyway?"

"I just said that to make him mad." Sharpay knew this was a lie, but went along with it any way.

"I understand, it was the heat of the moment." Chad said with a measure of disappointment that Sharpay was positive that she heard.

"Can we just get out of here? Can we go somewhere where I can cry in peace without my ex staring at me."

"Do you want to go back to the mansion?"

"No, not there. I want to go somewhere peaceful and the mansion is not peaceful."

"I know just the place," He said as he started the car.

* * *

AN: I know that Zeke may seem out of character, but we all do and say stupid things during very tense situations.

The prom Incident is covered in Chapter 4 of _Cracks in the Foundation_. The beginning of truth about Maddie rock is covered in Chapter six.


	5. You Can't Go Home Again

Thank you to everybody who reviewed or read the last chapter. Sorry it took so long, but I finally have my computer fixed.

Disclaimer: If I owned HSM things would be more realistic if nothing else.

Unfortunately, I do not own HSM.

I do own my own crazy characters.

* * *

Chapter 5: You Can't Go Home Again

Five minutes after she left Troy in a parking lot of some mall on the other side of town, she realized that she did something stupid. She was running away again, but she did not care. After 10 minutes, she contemplated calling him and apologizing for her actions. However, she could not apologize when she knew she was right. Maybe he was not sleeping with Sharpay. However, his relationship with Sharpay was too close.

Much close two people for who were supposedly "just friends". Over the summer, the two had become inseparable. The two practically spend every moment together and an out of their internship. They shared their hopes and dreams with each other. He knew everything about Sharpay from her Broadway aspirations to the truth about Darby. She also knew he could say things to Sharpay that he would never say Gabriella. It was as if they knew each other their entire lives. Recently when around the two she felt like she was outside looking in.

She wished things could go back to the way they were before when she was the closest person to him and Sharpay was nothing more than an annoyance. In reality, they were never that close, at least not as close as he was with Sharpay. Troy knew nothing about or pre-Albuquerque existence except for the little things. He did not know about her father's death or her battle with alcoholism. He had no idea that he saved her from going completely off the wagon when he tried to keep her from running away at Stanford. In her mine, she blames Sharpay for their current lack of emotional intimacy. In her anger, she could not see that situation was created by her own actions.

She kept her conversations with Troy purposely shallow. Rarely the conversations go beyond the basic pleasantries. The one time he tried to talk to her about the problems with his parents, she promptly changed the subject. When they fought, she ran away. She would not stick around to resolve the problems. Instead, she expected him to chase after her.

After 15 minutes, she was expecting him to call her at any moment as he did in the past. Every sense Sharpay and Troy became friends he stopped chasing Gabriella after with every little argument. He would no longer assume he was the person doing something wrong. Gabriella also blamed Sharpay for his recently more assertive behavior.

The irony of the situation was staring her in the face yet, Gabriella could not see the situation for what it truly was. It was easier for her to believe that he was leaving her for another woman when in reality than they were falling apart because she would not let him in.

After 20 minutes, she considered calling again but instead she just continued to drive. Just could not deal with him yet. Before she knew where she was, she was in front of her house of the last year and a half. Before everything change if something like this happened she would go to her own room and cry her eyes out over her stupid boyfriend. She would eat cookie dough ice cream and desperately tried to avoid the liquor cabinet. She would send angry text messages to Taylor and Lexis about the latest thing her idiot boyfriend did today. Within an hour, Troy would come by and apologize with some grand gesture.

However, this was not really her home anymore. The garden was completely redesigned to feature all of Madison's favorite flowers and extra bushes for privacy. The house was now painted Madison's signature blue. Gone was the patio furniture in the back of the house. In its place was a brand-new Playhouse complete with a playground that most schools would kill for. Gabriella seriously wandered why her mother agreed to have their house completely change. Gabriella absolutely hated change. If the House stayed the same, she can pretend her life was not moving forward.

Gabriella walked inside the home with her spare key that would not work after Wednesday. She knew the locksmith and security firm would be coming by tomorrow to celebrity proof the house. It was just another thing that was about to change.

The Inside of the house was vastly different. Gone were the bright colors that her mom loved, instead they were replaced with light purples and blues, all favorites of Madison. The few pieces of furniture were much more modern in tasted then anything her mother would have owned. Custom-made drapes and blinds were already in place.

As she walked into her former bedroom that seems completely different, it truly hit her that this was not her home anymore. The walls are now light blue with dark blue trimming. Vintage rugs many of Madison travels cover the hardwood floors. Even the trellis that Troy climbed up to see her was now gone from the back of the House.

"She got rid of the trellis." Gabriella said aloud to no one in particular.

"We couldn't keep it Gabriella." Madison said as she walked into her new bedroom and hug Gabriela. "So what are you doing here?

"Just taking a trip down memory lane, Madison. I want to see the house one last time. I didn't expect everything to be so different. I mean what's so bad about trellis." Under her breath, she added under her breath.

"First of all Hope is in her bouncy climb every thing's stage. The trellis was too much of a liability. Second, since this is my bedroom now, we couldn't make it any easier for some of my more excitable fans to get in the House." Madison finished her explanation, but Gabriella still looked sad.

"I personally think it was so I not could sneak my nonexistent boyfriend into my bedroom. I think all the stories about Troy have put ridiculous ideals into her head." Alexis said as she went to hug her friend that she had not seen sense her mother funeral in November. Instead of except in the hug, Gabriella grabbed baby Hope instead.

Not put off by Gabriella's rejection, Alexis continued on "Personally I think you waiting for your boyfriend to apologize/chase after you like he used to. However, people grow up and move on, not necessarily to other people. I've received all of your 'my boyfriend is evil" text messages and I don't entirely believe that things are falling apart because of another person. I know you too well to believe that. The one thing Gabriella loved and hated about Alexis was her ability to speak her mind and truth in any situation. Even with her baby girl in the room and she still spoke for mine. Instead of responding to a Lexus's accusations chose to do what she did best ignore the truth.

"What are you guys doing here? I thought you were going straight to the hotel?" Gabriela questions the two.

"I wanted to check on the progress of the construction. Since this is on the way to the hotel, we thought we would stop by first. Your mom decided to wait in the car," replied Madison.

"I am glad you brought the little one in. I have missed her so much this year. You are so much bigger than you were in November."

"I am surprise you remember anything from November." Alexis mumbled under her breath. However, Gabriella still heard every word.

"Gabe" said the little girl in Gabriella's arms.

"She can almost say my name now. That's so cute."

"Maybe you can comeback with us to the hotel for dinner in catch-up?" asked Madison.

"That's okay I have a club meeting." It was not a complete lie; she did have an AA meeting that night. She was happy she has a legitimate excuse not to be with Alexis. It was not that she did not care about her friend; she is really did care about her. It was just some time she could not deal with the guilt created by her role in Alexis's current situation. Sometimes she wished she could go back in time to before that fateful night in February that created Hope, back when she did not have all this guilt. She wanted to go back to the days before her father's death to when everything was wonderful.

"I don't know why you call it a club meeting around us. We all know you are going your biweekly Alcoholics Anonymous meeting. How can you expect to get better if you do not even acknowledge you have a problem? Your friends don't even know you're an alcoholic."

"This is personal. Not everybody can be like you Alexis. You are the type of person who can go on Oprah and air all your dirty laundry for the entire world to see."

"It is how I deal with what happened. You do not have to be like me, but you need to find a way to deal with the situation. Not just, stay in your constant state of denial. You should tell your friends. Maybe if they did know what was going on, you would not have relapsed last May or November. You could have a wonderful support system if you just let them support you. Troy was the only reason you did not fall completely off the wagon last May. I mean you keep telling me about how your friends here would do anything for you. For example, all of your friends, including the ones who could not hold a tune in a paper bag, joined the school musical just because you asked them to. These people love you for you. However, you do not let them know you. Do you really think everyone will hate you if you were not perfect anymore?

"That's not the problem Alexis."

"Whatever Gabriela. Let me make things easy on you tonight." She said as she grabbed her daughter. "Say bye-bye to your Aunt Gabriela baby. You and I are going to go look at our new bedroom while your Aunt Gabriela visit the lands of denial. I'll see you tomorrow Gabriela when you show me around town."

"Bye-bye Gab-be"

"Bye-bye baby" Gabriella said to the little girl as she was taken out of her hands.

With that, Alexis with her daughter walk across the hall to the former master suite.

* * *

"Where are you taking me Chad? Sharpay demanded from the passenger seat of her pink convertible as they continue to drive through some of the better residential neighborhoods in Albuquerque. She glad Chad came with her to the house. She was still too angry with Zeke to think straight, let alone drive. She was most angry about the fact that he was somewhat right. She may have never touched either Chad or Troy in a romantic way recently, but she was still cheating on Zeke with the two of them. It was just the emotional kind of cheating.

"I'm not telling you. It is a surprise." Chad responded to her question

"You know I hate surprises. I have no patience whatsoever."

"This coming from the woman who chased after the same guy for four years; a guy who had no interest in her whatsoever."

"I had a chance. He did take me to the winter ball in ninth grade and I even got a good night kiss. If I had patients, I would still be chasing after him. At this point he can marry little Miss perfect for all I care. You and I will just have to show up for the divorce proceeding when she runs away after their first fight. You can do consoling best friend thing and I can be the rebound fling." Sharpay said doing her best to stay completely serious.

"You know sometimes I can't tell when you are been serious or going in to one of your improvisational skits." Chad said as he began to laugh a little.

"Good that means my acting skills are improving," Sharpay said as a familiar house came into view.

"Are you crazy Chad? Wait, I already know the answer to that question. There is no way the new family that lives here will let's hang out in their house as we take a stroll down memory lane." Sharpay said in annoyance at Chad.

"You don't know who lives here? One would think after four years of following Troy around like a lovesick fool you would know who lives in this house now."

"What on earth does this have to do with Troy?" Sharpay said not completely understanding the connections.

"He lives here."

"No he lives on Cherry wood Street, this is Sequoyah Road."

"Not anymore, when you were exiled to Rhode Island the streets in this neighborhood were renamed." Although he did not say why, she knew the true reason for the name change. Too many fans loved stalking the places where their favorite celebrities die. Dominique was very loved by the public even in death.

"That means you had to live all summer in the house where she…Sharpay couldn't bring herself to mention Dominique's death so close to the anniversary. She did not want to upset him. As usual, he knew what she was saying without her ever saying it aloud.

"Why do you think I slept over at your house so much this summer?

"I thought you just love the pleasure of my company. In addition, unlike your girlfriend I do not get mad if you accidentally fill me up in your sleep." She said with a cheeky smile as she got out of the car and walk towards the back yard of the House.

"I enjoy your company you are not making comments like that. It was only that one time, maybe twice," he said in a whiny voice as he followed her to the backyard.

"Whatever, Danforth you know you…" She stopped in mid sentence as she noticed the tree house. "It's still here. I thought it would be gone by now."

"Considering how hard Coach Bolton and Troy worked on this tree house with my uncle and me, did you really think they would just tear it down? Chad asked her in all sincerity.

"I really don't know what to think. The Evans family does not believe in holding on to holding childhood memories. Most of my childhood toys were lost between the moves. Even Mr. fluffy disappeared somewhere between New Mexico and Rhode Island. Is it still safe for us to go up there? Sharpay asked as she looked at the stairs

"Consider I have spent more time move in that tree house this summer then I had in the house I would have to say yes. You can't hear the arguing from the tree house." He added the latter in a whisper but she could still hear it.

"Is it really that bad?" She already knew the answer to that question but ask it anyway. Troy had already told her about the angry arguments and about the many times, he discovered his father sleeping on the couch or in the guest room.

"Were currently taking bets on went the divorce papers will arrive."

"They seem so perfect on the outside; it's hard to accept that's not real"

"So were you and Zeke on the outside, but you're black and blue arm says differently." She could not respond to his statement so she chose to stay silent instead.

Once inside the tree house she was instantly transported back to a time when it was the three of them against the world. It was so much easier back than when they could be anything or anyone. She now realizes this tree house was her first stage. This is where she fell in love with performing. In these four walls and In This backyard she was not Sharpay Evans the hotel heir. She was a superhero, she was a star athlete, or she was the one to chase the demons away. She could be someone with the power to change things and she loved it.

The house seemed frozen in time. Very little was different from seven years ago. Robby the robot was still in the corner. The posters were still on the wall and her superhero cape was crumpled in the corner. She picked it up and gently ran her hands over the fabric. She loved that red cape. When she was little, she really did believe this cape gave her superpowers. The power to stop Darby from drinking, the power to bring Ryan back home, and the power to make her dad love her more than his career. Now as an adult she realize no one really have those powers.

"Did you ever wish we were little kids again? Everything was so much easier back then. Before hormones, stupid arguments, idiot parents and reality ruined everything." Sharpay said as she sat down on one of the sleeping bags on the floor.

"Considering the childhoods we had, not really. Things are not perfect right now but it could be a lot worse." He said sitting down next to her.

"Everything is starting to fall apart. Zeke and I are over for a good. You and Taylor are taking the slow train to breakups veil and you two are the stable relationship of the group. Let us not even talk about Gabriella and Troy who seemed to break up every other week. Darby is back drinking her way through the day and Ryan is leaving me again. I have to go to a University without a good drama program because no one else would take me. I do not think I can keep going through the motions of pretending everything is fabulous anymore. For so long we were at each other's throats. I lost my best friend and I do not even know why anymore." She said as she began to break down in tears.

"You have me now and that's what matters. We cannot go back to yesterday. That person does not exist anymore. That life does not exist anymore. There was never a place like that home in your head. Therefore, there is no way to go back to the place that was not real. But you and I will move on to something great." He said as he grabbed onto her as she continue to break down.

* * *

Troy wanted nothing more to get out of the car and away from the most uncomfortable conversation he ever experienced and his entire life. However, being inside his childhood home was not any better. His entire existence in this house was built upon a lie. Never once did a happy family live here. Only three people going through the motions of false perfection. So lost in thought he did not notice the pink car in the driveway.

A few minutes later, his mom came into the house carrying groceries. He could not look her in the eye. His trusted in his mom was completely shattered. Even though the discretion happened seven years earlier to Troy, it just happened. He wondered if it was still happening. His mom was hardly ever home. She was always on a business trip or something like that. What if his father only admitted to the oldest incident to make easier for Troy to accept his Mom unfaithfulness?

He could not stay in the House for another minute. Before his mother could even question his behavior, Troy ran back to his childhood sanctuary the tree house. Since the end of the basketball season, he had been spending a lot of time in this place. Unlike when he was, young and he would play for hours out here, now he usually brought his IPod or laptop with him and just relax. It was a great place to think alone.

However, today he was not alone. Today his best friend who was holding on to a sleeping Sharpay was up there today. The ruined mascara testament to the tears shed earlier. However, the most disturbing thing is that giant handshake bruise on her arm. He slowly walked over to Chad and sat down next to him. In a whisper, he asked, "What happened?

"The breakup was not as peaceful as we thought it would be." Chad said as he ran one hand over her battered arm.

"He did this to her?" Troy asked as he pointed to the bruises.

"Yes, after he accused her of sleeping with both of us at the same time behind his back. Although now he has a new bruise to go with the one you gave him this afternoon." Chad said still angry at what occurred earlier in the day.

"Why does everyone think I am sleeping with Sharpay?"

"Because she is hot and you know more about her than your own girlfriend. Of course, you are not alone this time."

"Very hot, but she is just a friend. Now, with the two of you it seems possible." Chad just rolled his eyes at Troy's comment.

"It could just as easily be true of the two of you." Chad shot back to his friend. Chad and Troy knew that they both had a relationship with Sharpay was in that strange place between friend and lover. Their relationship was platonic like a friendship, with the emotional intimacy that one would only have with a lover. There was just too much history there to be just friends.

He never really thought about it much. He was closer to Chad than anyone else. The two would share everything with each other. He knew without question that he would tell Chad about today's revelation about his mother. He knew he would tell Sharpay as well, but he would not tell Gabriela. She would not want to hear it. He should be able to say these things to Gabriela. She should be the person that he is the closest to. Gabriella should be his best friend. However, she was not and could never be.

"I am going to go get some ice for my hands and her arm. I think I was too angry to notice how bad it hurt right after the fight. Can you stay with her for a while? I didn't want to leave her up here alone."

"Sure that's fine. I really don't want to be in the house right now."

"Why did something happen?" Chad tried to gently maneuver Sharpay off him without waking her as he asked the question. Unfortunately, it did not work. She just would not let go of him.

"Did you ever find something out about a person that completely changed how you perceive them?" He calmly asked best friend.

"More times than I care to remember," he said as he continued trying to move Sharpay away from him. Sharpay is just as clingy as when we were kids. I think we have to do the switch thing."

"I'll tell you about what happened when you get back." Troy said as his move to her other side and gently shifted Sharpay onto him. When they were younger, Sharpay always had a habit of falling asleep on one of them and would not let go. However, they could always get her to switch to Chad or vice versa.

As soon as Chad was on the ground, Sharpay woke up or at least pretended to wake up. However, she did not move her head from his shoulder.

"You heard the entire conversation didn't you?"

"Pretty much, good to know you both think I am hot."

"You not going to forget that are you?"

"Not a chance. What happened between you and princes goody-two-shoes today after you beat up my now ex? Did she leave you on the side of the road this time? I don't see any bruises, so the she is not violent."

"No, she just dropped me off at Westside Plaza. At leaves there was a decent Starbucks there. Of course this is after she accused us of having an affair of some sort."

"They are both right you know we are having an affair; you are just not sleeping with me. I am the emotional other woman. This is not a physical affair, it is an emotional one. Even though you and I do not make out, you are still in a closer relationship with me then Gabriela. You and Chad are in closer relationship then you and Gabriela. This may explain why Zeke made his stupid accusation this afternoon."

He laughed at her last comment as she continued speaking. "You talked to her about things like going to college or not wanting to follow your dad's dream. You talked to Chad and me about your parents crumbling marriage; the joy you experience on stage, and your fear about living Up to everyone's expectations of you. She thinks you are going to Berkeley for her, we know you are going to Berkeley for yourself. Let us face it, you are closer to us then you are to her. That is not a good thing if that relationship is to make it pass the high school infatuation stage."

"I do not think that relationship is going to last much longer."

"Which relationship, our relationship, your relationship with Gabriela, or the relationship your parents have?"

"I consider it a small miracle if my parents are not separated by Thanksgiving. I do not think my relationship with Gabriela is going last much longer."

"Great now that you're moving of 1000 miles away, you're breaking up. I stop chasing you and now I actually have a chance."

"You always had a chance. Why do you think I first consider doing _Twinkle Towne_?" I just never really had a chance with you he thought to himself.

"You have always been a closet thespian. You loved performing up here as much as I did. You just need an excuse to be onstage again. I think we better get downstairs before your mom comes after us." She said as she began to get up from the tree house floor.

"I really don't care if she does."

"Something else happened today?"

"I'll tell both of you about it later"

"Okay" she said as she lay back down on his shoulder.


	6. Sins of the Parents

I would like to thank everyone who read or reviewed the last chapter. I know it has been forever. Although there has been a few updates to _Cracks In The Foundation_ since the last chapter of this story.

This is going to be a very heavy Taylor and Ryan chapter. I know many people want to know about how these two got together. There is some of that in this chapter. Although more will be in the next installment of _Cracks in the Foundation._

Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to HSM.

I do own my own crazy characters.

This is purely for entertainment purposes.

Special thanks to Neila Cross for being a wonderful bata

* * *

Chapter 6: Sins of the Parents

The summer sun broke through the curtains and shined upon the body of his lover, Taylor. He loved seeing her Bathed in sunshine. Since they began this closeted relationship almost three months earlier, they were never together unless with their friends. That was why he was so shocked when she invited him over to her house that afternoon. Then he remembered that Taylor's dad is out of town until tomorrow and she lived with her mom in the summer. Taylor was afraid of somebody finding out the true nature of their relationship. She confined their love to the darkness of the night and inside of the hotel room. He wanted to be with her in sunshine, he wanted to scream his love for her from the rooftops; however she would not allow him to do any of those things.

Ryan did not understand why Taylor stayed in a relationship with someone she did not love. His insight as Chad's friend and Taylor's lover show him that the two were not in love. The argument earlier this afternoon proved that. Sometimes he thought Taylor stayed with Chad because he allowed her to keep up her allusion of perfection. The relationship between the two was superficial at best. Taylor's relationship with Chad was crumbling and she would not let go.

However, Chad was not giving up either. Chad stayed with Taylor even though he would rather be with Sharpay than go calm his girlfriend down. He could never understand the relationship between Chad and Sharpay. He knew that Chad spent more time with Sharpay this summer than with Taylor. That's why he did not buy Sharpay's excuse earlier today when she said she did not want to go to the luncheon because she had no friends. He knew Chad was definitely Sharpay's friend. Maybe Chad was more than just "friends" with Sharpay. Their relationship was always extremely complicated and deeper than anything Ryan ever witnessed before. Even when they supposedly hated each other last fall they still text message each other constantly. Maybe he couldn't understand the connection because Ryan wasn't around when Chad, Sharpay, and Troy were all BFFs the first time around.

When Ryan was younger, he was jealous of Chad and because he was in New Mexico with his sister while Ryan was stuck in Newport. The closeness between the two was so strong it could not be broken by seven years of misunderstandings and angry feelings. It hurt him to think that Chad was one of only two people who could keep Sharpay from going into full Sharpay mode. The only other person who could do that was Troy. If he was honest with himself, he knew Chad was the better person for his sister right now during her breakup insanity. It just hurt him that somebody was replacing him as his sister's best friend again.

On the brighter side of things, it made Ryan happy to know that he had a connection deeper with Taylor then Chad ever would. Ryan could do for Taylor what Chad did for Sharpay. He was the only person that could keep Taylor from completely exploding that afternoon. Troy was a good 30 seconds from being smacked by Taylor without any intervention. To prevent the shed of innocent blood, Ryan quickly took Taylor up to the suite where he listened to her scream and complain until she was in so much pleasure she couldn't remember her own name, although she did scream his name a few times.

A few hours later, he sat in the bed holding onto her whispering "I love you" to her beautiful body. In the moments before ecstasy wore off, he could tell her how much he loved her without Taylor running away. Chad did not have these moments with her, only he did. He could hold her in his arms and pretend that she loved him as he loved her. In those moments, he imagined he could take her to family dinners and tell all his friends about the beautiful intelligent woman that he was in love with. In a few moments she will wake up from her post lovemaking slumber and run out of the room desperately hoping that no one would find out that she is not perfect.

_Unfortunately, their relationship will be ending soon_. In less than 48 hours, he would be on a plane to New York and she will be on her way to Yale. Although, the two of them would only be separated by only a few hours by train, he wondered if their relationship could sustain itself in the new environment. Their perfect summer of romance was on the verge of being shattered. Not by Chad finding out, rather by time itself. Maybe that is why he could not bring himself to finish packing up his present life.

He looked over at the clock and was in complete shock that they were up in the room for almost 4 hours. He is supposed to meet his family for a final farewell dinner in 30 minutes. He was almost positive Sharpay would not be up to going after the breakup this afternoon. He just hoped Chad and maybe even Troy, could keep her from being arrested. He definitely did not want to get his sister out of jail during his last few days in New Mexico.

He didn't want to leave the warmth of Taylor's embrace… this maybe his last time with her. He may never be with her again and the thought made him want to cry. After reluctantly getting out of their bed, he ran into the bathroom for a quick shower not caring that it would probably make him late. Next, he quickly grabbed a new outfit out of the closet. He refused to wear the same clothes again, which is why he kept a fully stocked closet at the hotel. Even Taylor had a few outfits in the suite. He wondered if she would keep them here or would want to take them with her today. His thoughts were broken by a knock at the door. He walked through the living room of the suite to the door as he buttoned up his dress shirt.

His father was standing at the door with a Manila envelope in his hands. Seeing his father in person was a very rare event for Ryan. Sometimes Ryan thought the only time he ever saw his dad was when he was sneaking his mistress out of the suite next door. Reluctantly, Ryan allowed his father inside. He did not want his last few possible moments with Taylor interrupted by his father's presents.

"What do you want dad?" Ryan said to his father as he opened the door to the suite.

"No hello or how are you doing father?" Ryan's dad asked as he walked into the posh living room.

"Hello father. What do you want?" Ryan said as he rolled his eyes at his father.

"You were always one for directness. I figured you would be up here with your little friend when you did not respond to any of my messages. By the way this was left at your door." He said handing the package to Ryan.

"What are you doing here? Aren't you losing money right now spending time with your children? Are you here to cancel the dinner?" Ryan would not be surprised if that were to happen. Family togetherness was never one of his father's strong suits.

"I know I deserve that. I have been trying to spend more time with the two of you this summer."

"Showing up to one school show does not make up for nearly 18 years of neglect and apathy. You let mom send me to that private school in Rhode Island just so your precious little friends would not learn your son has a learning disability. It is such a shame I can remember the choreography for a 2-hour show, but I cannot even spell the word choreography. You allow mom to play her sick little game with Chad and Sharpay. Do not lie to me and tell me she didn't do anything, I found the letters. It's a miracle that Chad and Sharpay are still talking to each other after mommy dearest tried to sabotage their relationship. Mom told me the whole thing was part of her grand revenge scheme to get back at you for sleeping with Dominique. Of course we both know she had the wrong woman." Ryan's voice became bitterer as he continued to relive painful moments from his past. However, his father showed no emotion at all.

"I sent you to the best schools in the country for your learning disability. As for Chad and Sharpay, I didn't know what was happening. If I had known, I would have stopped it. I had been spending the last year trying to undo the damage. That's all in the past and you cannot change the past."

"You're right you can't change the past. However, you can change the present. Have you been doing that? You are still never home. What about how most of the people on the guest list for my farewell party are your business associates? I never had a birthday party in New Mexico that was not corporately sponsored. I bet a client will be at tonight's family dinner. It would not be the first time you pulled something like this. Why spend time with your family when you can make money." Sarcasm was dripping off Ryan's tongue as he spoke every painful word. The very tense look on his father's face told Ryan that he was not very far from the truth.

"I didn't invite a client; however, I did invite Maddie and Lexis. They are moving to Albuquerque and Maddie will be one of your sister's professors next semester. Although she is going by Madison right now so do not blow her cover. "

"Is she now one of your special friends?" Even before he made the statement, he knew that his father treated Madison more like another daughter than anything else. Ryan was just in the mood to piss off his dad. If anybody else would have crashed the family dinner, Ryan would be very angry. However, Maddie was like family. If the rumors that came out when grandpa put her in the will were remotely true she might actually be family. It would be so cool to have the original Hannah Montana as an aunt. He absolutely loved her choreography routines in all her videos.

"I didn't mean friend in the way you and Taylor are friends. Besides I only have one special friend." Now Ryan found that last part very hard to believe that even though he only ever saw the one person. Of course he was too shocked by the revelation that his father was aware of his very secret relationship with Taylor to think about anything else in death.

"You don't think I would find out about you sneaking your girlfriend in and out of your suite at this hotel and Lava Springs. If you two are trying to keep a secret, you are not doing a very good job. I'm surprised the staff hasn't tried to blackmail you yet. " His dad said as he grabbed a drink from the mini bar.

"I didn't think anybody knew. " Ryan said as he laid his head in his hands. His heart began to speed up as he began to wonder if Chad actually knew what was going on as well. Despite everything, he really didn't want to lose Chad as a friend.

"I am your father. I may have been oblivious for the first 17 years, but I'm not clueless anymore. I'm here for you."

"It's a little too late to the right thing now. Where when you when we needed you dad? Now I remember, you were between your lover's legs." Ryan said angrily. His father had no right to intervene now.

"It's hard to be holy, when you're covered in mud. I just thought maybe you could invite Taylor to join us. I would like to meet this girl that you are so in love with that you're willing to throw away your friendship with Chad. I may not have been around all the time and I'm sorry about that. However, I know you and you would not be with Taylor unless you loved her. "

Before he had a chance to come up with some reason why Taylor would never or answers her father's question his phone rang. He instantly recognized Sharpay's ring tone. At that moment, he really loved his sister. "I have to take this call. It is Sharpay."

"Will you tell your sister that we have a special guest coming?"

"Sure," Ryan said as he walked out into the hallway leaving his father and lover behind. As he began to speak to his sister, he decided to open up the package. He couldn't decide what was the more shocking: the content of the package or what his sister was saying. However, it was clear to him, that all of his secrets as well as his father's dirty laundry would soon be revealed to everyone one way or another.

* * *

Taylor knew the second he left the bed. She had only been pretending to be asleep for the last 30 minutes. In reality, she just wanted to let him hold her and tell her how much he loved her. He only said those words to her when he thought she was unconscious. In this room she could admit that she loved him and not Chad. In the outside world, she would keep those feelings to herself. Outside this room she would stay on the pedestal that she was forced to stand on.

She was not supposed to love Ryan. Her father already picked out the ideal candidates for the perfect husband and Caucasian Ryan was definitely not on the list. Her father had a nasty habit of judging people by their skin tone or ethnicity and not the content of their character. Her father did not even like Chad that much at first because he was "half White". She knew her father was a bigot, but he was her father and she did not want to disappoint him. If her father knew what was going on he would definitely be disappointed.

For so long Taylor did exactly what her father wanted her to do. She wants to be on the girl's volleyball team, instead her dad made her do academic decathlon and debate. She wanted to go to Georgetown University in DC and do a work study program at a Federal Agency. Instead, she was going to Yale because it looked so much better when she ran for political office. She wanted to be with Ryan instead she stayed with Chad all to make father happy.

After Ryan went to the bathroom she decided to distract herself that checking her messages. She did not want to think about all the things she couldn't have. She ignored most of the messages from Gabriella. She could not understand how earlier in the day Gabriella could encourage Taylor to be nicer to Sharpay and then turn around a few hours later accusing the same girl of screwing her boyfriend. Gabriella had nothing to worry about, because it not was Troy that Taylor discovered sleeping in Sharpay's bed last week. She also found a message from Chad telling her he was with Sharpay. She could not really be angry at Chad for doing the exact same thing she was. But it didn't mean she couldn't hate Sharpay for it. Maybe checking messages wasn't such a great distraction.

After Ryan left the room to talk to his father Taylor walked over to the closet to pick out something before taking a quick shower. The first thing she noticed was one of her tops was torn. She wondered if Ryan did that in one of their more enthusiastic encounters. She probably needed to take all of those things home today. She did not want to. Packing meant the end of summer and possibly the end of this relationship.

As Taylor continued to get ready she did not pay attention to the conversation outside until Ryan's father mentioned that he knew that Ryan loved her. It shocked her that somebody else could see the feelings between her and Ryan. She was so careful to keep everything confined to this room. How did he notice their relationship? If he could see what was going on between the two, maybe others could to and that thought terrified Taylor.

After hearing the door slam Taylor thought it would be safe for her to grab her purse from the living room area. Unfortunately, Mr. Evans was sitting on the couch with a drink in his hand.

"Nice to see you again Taylor," Mr. Evans said in a very calm tone.

"Mr. Evans I had a wonderful summer working for you again. I was just up here with Ryan working on finalizing plans for tomorrow's party. Most of your guests did RSVP to the main party. The private party for Ryan's actual friends will…" before she could finish Mr. Evans cut her off.

"Please stop the pleasant lies. I know exactly what you have been doing with my son. I have been having clandestine affairs before you were even born. By the way your shirt's on backwards." Looking down in horror she relies that he was right. She quickly ran back into the bedroom to correct her outfit.

"What is going on between me and Ryan is private. It is definitely different than what happened with you and your many partners." She said the last part as neutrally as possible because she really did need the job at the Evans hotel near the Yale campus.

"Taylor I know what exactly what's going on. Maybe even more than you do. You are with my son and his friend. You are hurting two people whom I care about very much because you cannot make up your mind. Or maybe it's because your're not brave enough to make an unpopular choice. I have seen the consequences of such actions first hand and they are not pleasant."

"Why do you care? I know all about how you treated those two in the past. You send Ryan off to Rhode Island to be out of the way. You avoided Chad from the moment his mother died until last summer at Lava Springs. Last year when he caddied for you and your family, you acted like you never even met him before. It is too late to care now. Those bridges have been burnt to ash." Taylor said this as she continued to get a little bit angrier as she said each word. She may not have loved Chad as a lover; however, she still loved him as a friend and didn't want anyone to hurt him.

"Chad's mother was my best friend from high school up until the time of her death. Everyone thought we were dating but it was never anything like that. She always understood me. When Chad was born I promised her that I would treat him as if he was my own son."

"Well considering that both of them were equally neglected by you, I think you did a wonderful job." Taylor said sarcastically.

"If any other employee spoke to me like that they would be fired. But we're not exactly employee and employer right now." He said as he got up to get another drink. "Maybe the reason you say such things, is because you actually care about both of them. Do love my son Taylor?" she not could lie to him, as she did not really want to answer his question. Her only option was to delay him.

"Shouldn't Mrs. Evans be having this conversation with me?"

"Unfortunately she has one of her 'headaches' again." Unlike Ryan, Taylor knew exactly what the term 'headache' meant. Last month she had to watch Chad and Sharpay escort a completely smashed Darby from bar at the hotel where she worked. Mr. Evans was too busy and Chad Sharpay were forced to pick up the pieces. Sharpay and Chad made her promise not to tell Ryan about what happened. It was one of the reasons she was only slightly angry at Chad for being inappropriately close to Sharpay, even though she still didn't like her that much.

"Yes I love him. It not was supposed to happen. Ryan was just my boyfriend's friend. Then one night I realize that Ryan understood in me a way that no one else could. Everything in my life is already planned out for me. I have not had a say in my own life since I picked out my favorite color at age three. Chad was almost the perfect partner for my dad's plans for me to be the first African American female president. I felt something with Ryan that I have never felt before and I couldn't let go."

"But you couldn't let go of Chad either. Do you love Chad?" the question caught her off guard. She was not expecting it. She had no idea how to answer it.

"I care about Chad a lot. Under different circumstances, he probably will defend one of my best friends. However, he is not the love of my life. As much as my father can see the two of us together in the White House rose garden with 2 kids and a dog, I could not. I can see myself there with Ryan." Taylor said this last part with a smile.

"Then why don't you just let Chad go?" There were two answers to his question. One involved telling Mr. Evans that she was afraid of her father, was complicated but the way she was willing to admitaloud. The second reason was her fear that Chad may be in love with someone else. That something she would not confess to anyone.

"It's not that simple. You would not understand. You never have been in this situation before. I've never seen you as the type of person who could be forced into doing anything. The board of directors forcing you to do something against your will would be a sign of the apocalypse." She heard a loud laughed at her final statement.

"I've been in your situation more times than I care to remember. Did Ryan or Sharpay ever tell you about their grandfather Alexander Evans?"

"Ryan never said much about him much other than being an elitist snob who probably would be rolling in his grave at the choice of his granddaughter's boyfriend. Sharpay pretty much said the exact same thing except adding that he died about two years ago."

"That pretty much sums up my father. I was supposed to be exactly like him. He had my whole life planned out for me. I was supposed to marry one of the daughters of one of my father's business contacts, Darby Westwood of the Newport Rhode Island Westwood's. I'm pretty sure I was engaged to Darby by the time I was five. I was supposed to take over the family business. I never wanted any of that." It felt like Mr. Evans was describing her father.

"Maybe we both have the same type of father. However, it seems that you took the path of least resistance. What advice can you give me about doing the unpopular?"

"On the surface it looks that way, but underneath things aren't always what they seem. I did not want to marry Darby. It was not that she was a bad person back then, before life made her a bitter reflection of her former self. Instead, I fell in love with two other women who were definitely not Darby. Neither woman was on my father's approved list of 'suitable spouses for the Evans man'. They were both to independent for my father's taste.

"I was eight teen when I fell in love with Victoria Bryant. She was my professor for contemporary English literature freshman year. She looked a lot like you, except she was a bit taller and she refused to straighten her hair. She was smart like you as well. She was a brilliant woman who graduated high school at 16 and finished undergrad at 19. She was one of the first African American professors at the University of Albuquerque. Just like you and my son we were not supposed to fall in love."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"This is a cautionary tell. You remind me a lot of myself. I do not want you to make the same mistake I did back then. Victoria was the first Mrs. Evans." Mr. Evans revelation almost cost Taylor to fall over in shock.

"Ryan always said that Darby was your only wife?" Taylor asked as she tried to recover from the shocking news.

"I never told the children what happened. Besides in the eyes of the law the marriage never happened." Taylor could tell by the sound of his voice that something seriously bad happened.

"What happened when your father found out?"

"He was so furious that he almost hit me with a shot glass. His darling son ran off with a college professor 10 years his senior. It was bound to be the biggest scandal in Albuquerque history. He cared more about his reputation than my feelings."

"Obvious he didn't cut you off. What did he do to the two of you? "

"No, he just to trying to destroy the career of my wife and black list her from every university in the country. He could do anything he wanted to me and I would not care. However, hurting her broke my heart in two."

"What did you do?"

"I let her have the career she always wanted. I could not take her being miserable. The marriage was annulled quietly and I got engaged to the woman my father wanted me to."

"You both lived happily ever after?" Taylor asked in a very sarcastic tone.

"Not quite. This is not a story written by the people at Disney. In the real world things aren't that simple. Although I heard, that Victoria is now the head of the English department at your future alma mater. So maybe one of us did get the happily ever after. I didn't care much for Darby back then. I thought if I delayed the engagement long enough maybe she would lose interest."

"Well obviously that didn't happen. What happened next?

"I met someone else. She was a freshman at A of U when I was a senior. Everyone called her Lucy back then. She had that fire of independence that I loved so much in Victoria. I think I fell in love with her the second I saw her. I didn't want to risk angering my father. I was so afraid that he would hurt Lucy just as he tried to harm Victoria. We decided to keep everything quite. Publicly I was with Darby, in my heart I was with Lucy."

"How long did this last?"

"Five years, in 1987 I was already starting to have my own name in the Hospitality industry. I essentially told my father to go screw himself. I left Darby and was about to marry Lucy." Taylor noticed the sadness in his voice as he continued his story.

"However you didn't get your happy ending. What happened?"

"I waited too long to make my decision. By the time I was ready to act, it was already too late. Darby said she was pregnant." Taylor thought the first revelation was shocking, but this is even worse.

"I thought the twins were your only children?"

"After the wedding the baby mysteriously disappeared. To this day I don't know if it was a miscarriage, an abortion, or if the child was never there in the first place."

"I am so sorry." For in that moment Taylor really did feel sorry for him.

"It's okay. It is too late to be upset. There are three people in the world that would not be here if things had turned out differently. I think you would be upset if you never met Ryan. Just learn from my mistake. Don't be afraid to make an unpopular choice. Do not be afraid to make your parents mad. Sometimes I wish I was more like Ryan. He has never been afraid to take the road less traveled by. Alternatively, he has never been afraid to do something that I may not like. I'm so proud of that. Even Sharpay is starting to understand that now. I'm just glad they've learned that lesson and I hope that my story has taught you to do the same."

She just nodded in agreement. Although she could not help but wonder who the third person was.

"Enough of this unfortunate trip down memory lane, will you join us for dinner? Someone needs to be there to keep Darby in line and I seriously doubt Pay is gonna bring Chad with her." The thought of the two of them going to a family dinner with other people as dates made her laugh.

Before this story, she would have said no. Now she realized she needed to start making her own decisions. "I'll be there in a few minutes let me finish getting dressed. I would not want the other employees to figure out what went on up here."

10 minutes later, she left the bedroom with semi perfect hair and makeup to find Ryan sitting on the sofa with a computer printout in his hands. She saw him looking at a photograph of a very private moment of her and Ryan earlier in the day. As she looked at the Photographs and the note attached, she realized that like Mr. Evans she may have waited too long to make a decision.

* * *

**A/N: Below is the date of birth guide for all the characters in this story**

**Vance Evans was born in 1960**

**Dominique Danforth 1960-2001**

**Lucille "Lucy" Martinez-Bolton in 1963**

**Darby Westwood-Evans born in 1964**

**Jack Bolton and Charlie Danforth born in 1965**

**Madison Bryant AKA Maddie Rock born in 1979**

**Wildcats class of 2008 (Troy, Sharpay, and Chad) born in 1990**

**Wildcats class of 2010 (Lexis and Jimmy) born in 1992**

**Hope born in 2006**


End file.
